ELBASAN CITADEL
Go there and contact
This citadel is the heart of Elbasan. In fact, it's one of the few pleasant neighborhoods in this industrial city.
This citadel (Kalaja e Elbasanit) is the heart of Elbasan. It is one of the few pleasant districts of this industrial city marked by a functionalist communist architecture. It was built in the 4th century by Emperor Diocletian, reinforced in 1466 by the Ottomans and partly dismantled in 1832. It constituted a rectangle of about 300 m wide and 350 m long, the line of which is today delimited by Qemal-Stafa Boulevard to the south, Ptoleme-Xhuvani Street to the north, Janaq-Kilica Street to the west and Rinia Street to the east. Only two portions of the walls remain. The southern one, along Qemal-Stafa Boulevard, is the best preserved with the remains of the old gate, two large corner towers at each end and three small bastions, one of which has the clock tower on it. Along Janaq-Kilica Street only half of the western rampart remains with a single small bastion. The interior houses a nice residential area, some hotels, bars and restaurants, but also the two most interesting monuments of the city: the King's Mosque and the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The main entrance is the old fortified gate, on Qemal-Stafa Boulevard, to the left of the clock tower. Next to the gate, a recent bronze statue pays tribute to Lef Nosi (1877-1946). This ethnologist and archaeologist was a leader of the Balli Kombëtar, a nationalist and pro-Nazi party. As such, he was shot by the communists.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on ELBASAN CITADEL
