The Stone City, as Gjirokastra is known, includes hundreds of Ottoman-style tower houses with stone roofs, wooden balconies and stone walls, sometimes whitewashed. With a majestic castle on a steep hill, Gjirokastra is a magical city with a turbulent past, which since 2005 has written a new history as part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
The architectural values of the construction of stone houses, thatched roofs, and cobblestones in the mysterious alleys of Qafë e Pazarit have been transformed into invaluable tourist and cultural values that have attracted the interest of tourists from all over the world for many years.
The origins of the fortress city begin with Argyro, the fortress built in the 4th century AD, the most important structure of the city, and the largest in Albania. The city was called Argyrokastro in 1336 and reached its peak of prosperity during the years 1800-1830, when the characteristic monumental houses of the Ottoman period were built.
The historic city presents the Ottoman tradition in construction as can be seen even today. Gjirokastra was not built on the river plain, as was the case in other cities of Western Europe. The city was built on the mountain, to save agricultural land, and its main and characteristic components are: the castle, which served as the ruler's palace and as a military fortification; the bazaar as an area for crafts and trade; religious buildings (churches, mosques and tekkes); residential quarters and fortified houses - monumental houses.
Gjirokastra had no urban squares as meeting places for the population, nor a municipality to represent its citizens, as the only building that embodied order and administration was the castle and the only social spaces were the religious complexes.
The city was built by large landowners. Around the ancient 13th-century castle, the city has towered houses, which are characteristic of the Balkan region. Gjirokastra contains some outstanding examples of this type of house, dating from the 17th century, as well as more elaborate examples dating from the early 19th century.
Gjirokastra carries unique values and characteristics in the use of stone in the construction of houses, which look like small fortresses, cobblestone alleys, all of which lead to the Bazaar. Gjirokastra is an extraordinary testimony to the diversity of urban societies in the Balkans and to the unique way of life that has almost disappeared today.
Never leave UNESCO-listed Gjirokastra without tasting the unique dishes, such as meatballs, chapati, or especially oshaf with dried figs, sheep's milk cakes, which will captivate any tourist passionate about Mediterranean cuisine.
