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Alison downie iup9/10/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Skanderbeg SquareĪll roads in Tirana lead to Skanderbeg Square, centrepoint of the city and, therefore, the nation as a whole ,arked at its southern end by an equestrian statue of national hero Skanderbeg, who led the ultimately unsuccessful resistance to fifteenth-century Ottoman invasions. Walking south again, grandiose buildings rise up on either side of you until you emerge in Mother Teresa Square, home to a passable Archeological Museum (Mon–Fri 10.30am–2.30pm 100L). Continuing south, opposite the imposing former Communist Party HQ (now the Prime Minister’s residence), the 2013 PostBlloku monument provides an overdue memorial to the years of Cold War brutality: a restored concrete bunker (see box above) stands alongside a segment of the Berlin Wall and supports from a mine at Albania’s notorious Spaç forced labour camp. Apparently designed by Hoxha’s daughter (a disputed assertion), it first functioned as a museum dedicated to the leader, and then as a conference centre it’s now dilapidated and defunct, though locals are fond of scaling its walls with a beer in hand. South of the river, any road to the west will take you to the Blloku district, while on the opposite side is the distinctive Pyramid. South of here, the pleasant green verges of the Lana are a good place to get a handle on some of Tirana’s famed colourful buildings. On the parallel road, Ibrahim Rugova, there’s the space-age Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral, which is particularly striking at night. The first major sight is the National Art Gallery, which is well worth visiting for its renowned icons by Onufri, and a collection of Socialist Realist paintings. Heading south from Skanderbeg Square is the “Boulevard of National Martyrs” ( Bulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit and Blloku). ![]()
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