Këlcyrë Saray

Këlcyrë Saray, locally known as Sarajet e Ali Bej Këlcyrës, lies next to the town of the same name, in the county of Gjirokastër in Albania.

Këlcyrë Saray is situated halfway up on the steep slope of the Trebeshinë Mountain. High above the saray are the ruins of a Këlcyrë Castle, a castle dating back to Illirian times.

Although the ruins of the saray may look like that of a castle, this structure was not a castle, but a fortified palace-residence. It was founded in the first half of the 19th century by Ali Pasha of Ioannina, an Albanian ruler who ruled as a very autonomous and quasi-independent Ottoman pasha.

It is said that the lords of Këlcyrë first resided in the older castle but were forced to move down to the palace, after Ali Pasha had taken the castle in 1796. They then became beys (local rulers) in Ottoman service. They named themselves after the location; Këlcyra, which later changed into Klissura.

In 1912 Albania gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in the First Balkan War. With the outbreak of World War I, the country descended into chaos and in 1914 Greece occupied southern Albania. In April that year, Greek forces arrived at Këlcyrë. They then gave Veli Bey of Këlcyra an ultimatum; he had 48 hours to accept their rule or his residence would be burned down. He flatly refused, after which Këlcyrë Saray was set alight. It remained a ruin ever since.

Këlcyrë Saray is freely accessible. A great ruin on an impressive location. Sadly enough, I visited on a rainy afternoon, so I could not safely visit the real castle at the top of the mountain.

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