Gjirokastër Castle

Gjirokastër Castle

Gjirokastër Castle, locally known as Kalaja e Gjirokastër, lies in the town of the same name, in the county of Gjirokastër in Albania.

Gjirokastër Castle was first mentioned in Byzantine documents of 1336. Archaeological research, however, proved that the ridge on which the castle is situated was already inhabited in the Stone Age and that it was first fortified in the Hellenistic period.

In medieval times, the castle was the seat of the feudal lords of Zenevisë. They managed to resist an Ottoman siege of the castle in 1417 for several months, but finally had to capitulate. Legend has it that a local princess jumped to her death from one of the towers, with her child, to avoid capture by the Ottomans. Afterward, the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II had the castle restored and enlarged in the late 15th century.

In 1812, the castle came into the hands of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who was an Albanian ruler who ruled as a very autonomous and quasi-independent Ottoman pasha. He had the entire Gjirokastër Castle rebuilt, enlarged and strengthened. The castle we see today is mainly the result of his building campaign. He also erected an aqueduct from the mountains to the castle, but this was demolished in the 1930s. Ali Pasha used the castle as one of his residences and to house a garrison of 5000 soldiers strong and store supplies.

King Zog of Albania had the castle prison expanded in 1932 and used it extensively. Later, the prison was also used to house political prisoners by the Communist regime until 1968.

The castle is situated on a ridge on the west side of the valley of the Drino River, dominating the town. It is around 500 meters long. Its maximum width is 90 meters and its smallest just over 10 meters.

Gjirokastër Castle can be visited for a fee. This is a great castle with lost of spaces to explore. A must-see. Inside the castle there is also a separate weapon, history, and prison museum. This museum charges a separate entry fee, but is certainly also worth visiting. The town itself is also very picturesque. The historic center and the castle are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Gjirokastër Castle

Gjirokastër Castle

Gjirokastër Castle, locally known as Kalaja e Gjirokastër, lies in the town of the same name, in the county of Gjirokastër in Albania.

Gjirokastër Castle was first mentioned in Byzantine documents of 1336. Archaeological research, however, proved that the ridge on which the castle is situated was already inhabited in the Stone Age and that it was first fortified in the Hellenistic period.

In medieval times, the castle was the seat of the feudal lords of Zenevisë. They managed to resist an Ottoman siege of the castle in 1417 for several months, but finally had to capitulate. Legend has it that a local princess jumped to her death from one of the towers, with her child, to avoid capture by the Ottomans. Afterward, the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II had the castle restored and enlarged in the late 15th century.

In 1812, the castle came into the hands of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who was an Albanian ruler who ruled as a very autonomous and quasi-independent Ottoman pasha. He had the entire Gjirokastër Castle rebuilt, enlarged and strengthened. The castle we see today is mainly the result of his building campaign. He also erected an aqueduct from the mountains to the castle, but this was demolished in the 1930s. Ali Pasha used the castle as one of his residences and to house a garrison of 5000 soldiers strong and store supplies.

King Zog of Albania had the castle prison expanded in 1932 and used it extensively. Later, the prison was also used to house political prisoners by the Communist regime until 1968.

The castle is situated on a ridge on the west side of the valley of the Drino River, dominating the town. It is around 500 meters long. Its maximum width is 90 meters and its smallest just over 10 meters.

Gjirokastër Castle can be visited for a fee. This is a great castle with lost of spaces to explore. A must-see. Inside the castle there is also a separate weapon, history, and prison museum. This museum charges a separate entry fee, but is certainly also worth visiting. The town itself is also very picturesque. The historic center and the castle are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Hits: 160