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albania

Albania

Korab

Korab is the highest mountain peak in the Korab massif (alb. Mali and Korabit) in the Dinaric Mountains on the Balkan Peninsula. In the Korab massif, the borders of Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia meet. The main peak is crossed by the Albanian-Macedonian border and is the highest peak of both countries, and therefore belongs to the Crown of Europe. It is the second peak after Mont Blanc to be the highest point for more than one country. 1)

Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës

The UÇK (Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës - the Kosovo Liberation Army) was an Albanian terrorist organization operating on the territory of Kosovo. It is responsible for numerous assassinations committed against Serbs and drug trafficking. 2)

Skanderbeg

Skanderbeg is one of the symbols of Albania. His greatest successes were the defense of the castle of Krua against the attack of 150,000 soldiers of Sultan Murad II and the smashing of 70,000 soldiers of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror by a force of only 15,000 Albanians. There are many monuments and museums erected in honor of this great hero. 3)

Et’hem Bey Mosque

Et’hem Bey Mosque is a mosque located in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Construction of the mosque began in 1789 on the initiative of Molle Beja. It was the only active mosque in the country during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, but not for Albanians, only foreigners could enter it. Its interior is decorated with rich frescoes and stuccowork. It was reopened to the public in 1991. 4)

City of a thousand windows

Berat (alb. Berati) is a city in central Albania, on the river Osum. Due to the characteristic location on the slope of the hill, the place is called “the city of a thousand windows”. The city is rich in monuments, including medieval Byzantine fortress, Royal Mosque (built-in 1493, with frescoes from the eighteenth century), Icon Museum. 5)

Enver Hoxha

During the bloody reign of dictator Enver Hoxha from 1945 to 1985, more than 700,000 bunkers were built across the country. 6)

Atheist state

During the years of Enver Hoxha's reign, Albania became the world's first officially atheist state. 7)

Nodding means no

When answering a question to an Albanian, you have to remember that shaking your head from side to side, which we understand as “no” for an Albanian, will be an affirmative answer. On the other hand, nodding your head means “no”. 8)

The counterparts of Smith and Brown among Albanians are the names: Çela, Hoxa, and Kurti. 9)

Raki

As in other Balkan countries, the national alcoholic drink of Albania is the rather strong Rakia. 10)

Qofte

Being in Albania you must try qofte, the national dish of the country. It is nothing more than grilled meatballs served with vegetables. 11)

Rozafa Castle

Undoubtedly one of the most interesting sights worth visiting is Rozafa Castle near Shkodra. 12)

Lake Ohrid

In 1979, Lake Ohrid was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 13)

Village of Lazarat

The village of Lazarat is the “herbal capital of Albania.” The village makes the country the largest exporter of cannabis in Europe. 14)

Albanian buses

Albanian buses (called vans) don't have schedules; they leave when they are operational and ready - or full. 15)

Sazan Island

Albania, in a bid to attract more tourists to the country, has decided to turn Sazan Island, a Cold War-era military island complete with a bunker designed to withstand a nuclear attack, into an attraction. The base is still technically operational, and sailors remain on the island to provide shelter for the navy patrolling Albanian waters. 16)

Mother Teresa

The heroine of Albania is Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. Better known around the world as Mother Teresa. 17)

albania.txt · Last modified: 2022/01/19 07:44 by aga