Lost at Sea: Tyrants of Tirana

Albania has been everybody's bitch. The original inhabitants were the Illyrians, at least thats how the Albanians would like to remember their origins. The Greeks have had a piece of her, as well as the Romans, leaving durable colonies in places like Butrint. The Visigoth and Ostrogoth barbarian tribes battled for control as the Byzantine empire started to crumble and Constantinople lost control of its far flung outskirts in the 7th century. After the Slavic influx, Albania was integrated into Bulgaria. It finally achieved some sort of statehood as the 'Medieval Kingdom of Albania' under Serbian rule. The Ottoman empire ruled for a long period, starting in the 15th century, right up until 1912, when Albania made its first declaration of Independence.

Skanderbeg, an Albanian hero

It then tried to be a monarchy as the Principality of Albania (1914 - 1925), and then an even shorter lived Albanian Republic until 1928. King Zog established the Kingdom of Albania from the republic until 1939. It was then occupied by Fascist Italy just before the outbreak of World War 2. After the collapse of the Axis powers, it became a Communist regime, Socialist People's Republic of Albania ruled by the dictator Enva Hoxa. The Communist regime collapsed in 1990 with the fall of the Eastern Bloc, and the great Albanian diaspora began. It is now run as a democracy, has joined NATO and is seeking membership of the EU.

King Zog

Some of the bitches

We became fascinated by this curious country, struggling to establish itself as an economically and politically independent nation state. So we upped and caught a bus to Tirana, leaving Pavlov down at Orikum marina.

Leafy pleasant streets in Tirana

Bookseller on the bridge

Large central square in Tirana

Old mosque, one of the few old buildings in Tirana

Tirana feels like a dynamic and progressive city. The people are clearly poor, reflected in horrendous architecture and street side markets. However, there is a lively forward-looking orientation. Modern cars are the primo status symbol, everyone sports a mobile phone and there is a lively cafe culture. We were right at home.

A spot of parrot-smuggling, anyone?

Even though Albania is officially an atheist state, there is religious freedom and both Muslim and Orthodox beliefs flourish.

Modern Orthodox church

Nave of the church

There are still some curious signs of its Communist past. Hoxa's pillboxes are everywhere as are the police. There are signs of Nationalistic propaganda in the art and sculptures around the city.

State building, note the sentry pillbox

Communist era mural on a state building

Mural showing a victorious Skanderbug

Pretty impressive dude, huh!

Unusual Albanian coat of arms made from rifles.

Partisans against Mussolini's Fascists

Another patriot

Christian decorations

More nationalistic sculpture

Entry and exit formalities are complex, must be done through an agency, and police attend arrivals and departures. I guess it takes time to drop a long standing reliance on authority structures.

The 'river' through the centre of town

Housing structures

Funeral hearse

Common design apartment block

Large civic spaces

We've been fascinated by the Albanian story, and felt very welcomed by its people. It feels like we're witnessing the birth of a dynamic and independent nation, with all its attendant birth-pangs.