21st August 2014
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| Walking the robust Fortress |
Crowning a
massive hill in the Albanian hinterland beyond Saranda is the robust fortress of Ali Pasha (13th
c) and wealthy town of Gjirokastra.
This
is the site of an imposing Ottoman settlement including distinctive tower
houses built by wealthy landowners, narrow cobbled streets of the old town and
a busy bazaar, now bursting with tourists.
Gjirokastra has been a UNESCO World Heritage town since 2004 and slowly,
restorations are underway, particularly of some of the grand old mansions.
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| Ethnographic Museum |
One of the
striking family mansions in the Albanian town of Gjirokastra was the birthplace
of Communist Dictator, Enver Hoxha. It
has now been set up as an ethnographic museum.
Our guide, Demir showed us though and explained how large families (30
or more) would have traditionally lived in various rooms. This of course, meant a wonderful display of
textiles and costumes.
Interestingly, family
members slept on mattresses rather like futons, which were put away during the
day, giving rooms multiple functions. It
made me realise that the concept of a global village enclosed by a web of trade
routes (in this case, Silk, Spice etc) is certainly not new.
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| (note the shoes) |
