Gjirokastra

Gjirokastra is a historic town in southern Albania, celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkably well-preserved Ottoman-era architecture. Famously known as the 'City of Stone', it clings precariously to the steep slopes of the Mali i Gjerë mountain overlooking the Drino Valley. The town stands out for its unique fortressed houses (known as kulle), steep limestone-cobbled streets, and rich multi-layered history.

Unesco: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra
Thank you Gian Luca and Raffaella!
Date: June 1

Gjirokastra

Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period. Gjirokastra is an imposing fortress in whose perimeter original fortified urban housing has developed, built by the main landowners of the surrounding area. It is made up of fortified houses constructed on the principle of tall buildings, or towers, which defy the classical rules of architecture and town planning. It is the image of a powerful military and administrative centre, at the apogee of the classical Ottoman period.  Gjirokastra bears very certain and exceptionally well preserved testimony to the Balkan fortress-town of the 15th and 16th centuries.

Unesco: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra
Many thanks Sini
Date: June 6

Greetings from... Albania

Albania, on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, is a small country with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines and an interior crossed by the Albanian Alps. The country has many castles and archaeological sites. Capital Tirana centers on sprawling Skanderbeg Square, site of the National History Museum, with exhibits spanning antiquity to post-communism, and frescoed Et’hem Bey Mosque.

Thanks a lot Karin!
Date: Nov 11

Flags of the World - Albania

The flag of Albania is a red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength, valour and bloodshed, while the Eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania. The flag was established as the national flag of Albania when the country gained its independence from the Ottoman empire in 1912.

Many thanks Eric!
Date: Aug 11

Tirana

My first card from Albania, an aerial view of  the capital Tirana, with Skanderbeg Square, the main plaza in the centre of the city. Many buildings including tthe Palace of Culture, the National Opera, the National Library, the National Bank, the Clock Tower, the City Hall and the National Historical Museum are situated at the square.

RR: Vacation RR
Date: Oct 13