Balkan Experience - Greece & Albania - In Tirana, Albania - 2 Sep 2026

As I entered the Skanderbeg Square, the first thing I noticed was a monumental mural titled The Albanians. It is a massive 565-square-meter mosaic made from Venetian glass smalti. It serves as the iconic centrepiece above the main entrance of the National Historical Museum. It was created by a collective of five prominent Albanian artists and was completed for the museum's grand opening in 1981. The mosaic depicts 13 figures representing different milestones and eras of Albanian history.

Many distinctive and historic buildings embellish the perimeter of the square. The 135-meter tall, with 31 floors, Eyes of Tirana is one such. It features a striking, fragmented design made of stacked geometric blocks mimicking irregular standing playing cubes. It is a mixed-use building designed to house apartments, offices, and retail spaces.

Another striking building is called Tirana's Rock, officially known as the Skanderbeg Building. The 26-floor, 85-meter-tall skyscraper has undulating, continuous balconies that are meticulously wrapped and contoured to form the distinct facial features and bust of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, Albania's 15th-century national hero. It too serves as a mixed-use complex.

The National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania is located inside the building of the Palace of Culture fronting the Skanderbeg Square. The building, founded in 1953, is the largest theatre in Albania and serves as the country’s premier venue for professional opera, ballet, and classical music.

The Skanderbeg Square is a massive tiled foreground, a historic open public plaza. Near the Palace of Culture, to the left of the square, proudly flies the Albanian flag, with the double-headed eagle on a red field. The Square is the main plaza in the centre of Tirana and is named after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg.

The total area is about 40,000 square metres. The Skanderbeg Monument, the equestrian statue of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg who led a highly successful 25-year rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, dominates the square. The monument was unveiled to commemorate the 500th year of the hero's death. After renovations in 2017, the square is among the biggest pedestrian zone in the Balkans.

At one edge of the square is the historic Et'hem Bey Mosque. Construction of the mosque was completed in the 1820s and is one of the rare Ottoman-era structures that survived the widespread destruction of religious facilities during Albania's communist era. The mosque is known for unique frescoes on its exterior portico and interior ceilings.

The mosque played an integral role in the restoration of religious freedom across the nation. The caretaker inside the mosque was forcing visitors to donate currency without which they were turned away. I found this abhorrent. If donation is compulsory, they mosque authorities must charge an entrance fee. Else, it is extortion.

Beside the mosque is the Clock Tower of Tirana. The original clock tower has similar vintage as the mosque and was built by the mosque's founder. It has to be rebuilt many times because of various predatory attacks. Each time the tower was reconstructed, its height was reduced. Today it stands 35 meters tall. 90 spiral steps lead to the top of the viewing deck. It is presently closed to visitors.

The City Hall of Tirana is another prominent feature near the square. The building features a distinct yellow and red-brick facade designed and built in the early 1930s. At the entrance to the Hall are displayed the flags of EU, Albania and the Municipality of Tirana.

Just off the square is the National Puppet Theatre, locally known as the Teatri Kombëtar i Kukullave. Built in 1924, this historic structure originally served as an Officers' Club and later hosted the first Albanian Parliament. It was transformed into a puppet theatre in the 1960s. Extensive restoration was carried out after the 2019 earthquake. The theatre primarily hosts children's puppet shows; Winnie the Pooh was on show at the time of my visit.

A short distance away is the main entrance of the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral, which serves as the main cathedral for the Albanian Orthodox Church. Completed in 2012, its striking design blends structural Byzantine traditions with modern elements. The highlight in the complex is a distinctive 46-meter freestanding bell tower.

Opposite the cathedral is the building called the House of Leaves, which is the National Museum of Secret Surveillance. Its nickname is derived from the dense, climbing ivy covering the building's brick façade. An entrance fee of 700 ALL is levied and photography within the building is prohibited.

Built in 1931, the building originally served as Albania’s first private obstetrics clinic. Its purpose changed abruptly when German forces occupied Albania in 1943, and the German secret police, the Gestapo, requisitioned the building to turn it into the headquarters of their operations in the country.

This new phase came to an end the following year, when Albanian partisans repelled the German forces and regained independence. The newly constituted People's Republic of Albania, headed by Enver Hoxha, turned it into the Directorate of State Security, the Sigurimi. Wandering through the 31 rooms of the museum means uncovering the surveillance and interrogation techniques that the regime deployed against its own citizens.

Next on the itinerary was the much-recommended Bunk'Art2. It was, to me, more of the same I had just seen in the House of Leaves. I got to buy a reduced ticket, being over 65 years of age. The structure has a striking dome-shaped entrance, shaped like the country’s infamous "mushroom" military bunkers. The interior walls of this vault are lined with backlit portraits of victims who were persecuted or executed under Albania's communist regime. The 24 rooms trace the history of the state police under the communist regime.

Just across the road from Bunk'Art2 is the building of the State Supreme Audit institution, which is highly recognized for its vibrant, eye-catching pink facade with yellow geometric diamond patterns. Historically, portions of this interconnected government complex have also housed various ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the former Ministry of Urban Development.

A building that caught my eye on the way to the Unknown Soldier Statue of Tirana is the Toptani House), which was built between 1833 and 1840 with the front facade bearing the inscription 1837). It was the private estate of the powerful Selim Pasha Toptani and is one of the rare surviving aristocratic feudal mansions from the Ottoman era in the city.

Over the past two centuries it serves as an iconic residence, housed Albania's National Library during the regime of King Zog and later became the Institute of Cultural Monuments during the communist period. Presently, the building is being readied to become the Ethnographic Museum of Tirana.

While crossing an arterial road I came across the Azem Hajdari and Besim Çera Memorial. It honours Azem, the prominent politician and student leader, and Besim, his trusted bodyguard. The monument marks the exact crime scene where both men were assassinated on September 12, 1998.

Looming close by is the Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana, a prominent 5-star luxury hotel and architectural landmark of the city centre. The ground level of the 24-floor tower has been carefully designed to embrace and protect the historic, Ottoman-era Kapllan Pasha Tomb.

A stone’s throw away is the Statue of the unknown Soldier, a prominent war memorial unveiled in 1949. The bronze statue depicts an anonymous partisan forward-charging with a raised fist and a rifle and honours the Albanian partisans who sacrificed their lives fighting against Italian and German fascist occupation forces during World War II. It stands at the erstwhile location of the 350-year-old Sulejman Pasha Mosque.

A few places away is the statue of Sulejman Pasha Bargjini, an Ottoman Albanian general and nobleman who is celebrated as the founder of Tirana, who established the settlement of Tirana in 1614. He laid the foundations of the town by constructing a mosque, a bakery, and a public bathhouse, which drew a marketplace and spurred regional development.

The Friendship Monument was inaugurated on May 30, 2016, as a gift from the State of Kuwait to symbolize the close relationship, cooperation, and solidarity between Albania and Kuwait. The open pavilion features a large circular canopy decorated underneath with overlapping red, green, white, and black discs. These specific colours mirror the national flag of Kuwait. It serves as a relaxing meeting point for locals and tourists alike.

The nearby Grand Casino is much sought after as an unequalled gaming environment with dedicated tables for Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and GCT Ultimate Poker. Open between 12 am and 11 pm, the casino is a sought-after place for tourists too. I prefer to keep my money in my pocket rather than trust luck to multiply it.

A distinctive public artwork outdoors on the pedestrian walkway near the Toptani Shopping Centre is the mirror-polished chrome sculpture of a woman blowing a kiss. It features a highly reflective, metallic silver bust with a contrasting copper-coloured forearm and hand extended to blow a kiss.

From there I walked the short distance to the entrance of the Tirana Castle. It was historically known as the Fortress of Justinian. Its roots date back to the early Byzantine era and was believed to be the historic nucleus of the city. Very little of the original fortress survives above ground. The prominent 6-meter-high stone wall at the entrance is an Ottoman-era remnant rebuilt in the late 18th century.

In December 2018, the site was completely transformed into a pedestrianized open-air commercial and cultural hub. Rather than a traditional museum, the space inside the walls now functions as an upscale "Old Bazaar". I walked through the bazaar that features traditional and modern Albanian restaurants, cozy cafes, art spaces, bookstores, and artisan souvenir shops.

Exiting the Tirana Castle I came across the Saint Paul's Cathedral to my right. It is the main Roman Catholic cathedral in Tirana. Consecrated in 2002, the cathedral features a distinct, modern design combining a triangle and a circle to symbolize the Trinity and God's Eternity. A prominent statue of St. Paul stands at the very top of the roof. At the left side of the entrance to the cathedral is the statue of Mother Teresa holding a rosary in her right hand, honouring her iconic Albanian heritage.

Unequivocally, it must be mentioned that the most striking feature of the city of Tirana is the Mosque of Namazgah, commonly referred to as the Great Mosque of Tirana. The complex spans 10,000 square meters and can host up to 10,000 worshippers simultaneously.

The mosque features traditional Classical Ottoman architecture, heavily inspired by Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque. It has a 30-meter-high central dome and four towering minarets, 50 meters in height. The project was supported by Turkish funds and was opened to public in October 2024. The richness of the interiors is seen to be believed.

I expected the Parliament of Albania to be a landmark building. Instead, it turned out to be a damp squib. The mundane building is by the side of the Fan Noli Park. That is where the country's unicameral legislature meets. The text across the top facade reads The Assembly of the Republic of Albania in Albanian with the national coat of arms featuring the double-headed eagle.

There is a historic structure in the Fan Noli Park. It is a memorial pavilion that marks the location of the Fan Noli Government headquarters from 1924. The stone plaques mounted on the front commemorate Theofan Stilian Noli (Fan Noli), a highly influential Albanian politician, writer, scholar, to and orthodox bishop who briefly served as Prime Minister and regent of Albania in 1924.

Not far from the Fan Noli Park was the last place on my visit list for the day, the Old and New bazaars. Over time, according to one of the shop owners, the distinction between the two bazaars have blurred. There is an open-air marketplace featuring a distinctive modern steel and glass roof structure that covers traditional vendor stalls underneath.

The central market hub serves local produce, fresh fruits, vegetables, traditional meats, cheeses, and artisanal goods. It is also highly regarded for its regional souvenirs, traditional Albanian crafts, and vintage goods. I bought fridge magnets from a souvenir shop and a souvlaki from another and back to the accommodation. My legs protested all the way back to the accommodation.