City Museum

City Museum stands in Gjirokastra, Albania, among steep streets and old stone houses clinging to hillsides. UNESCO recognizes Gjirokastra for its architectural and historical importance, while the city preserves an Ottoman-era urban character. Here, thick stone walls, wooden details and painted interiors shape the view through the historic neighbourhoods.

The museum presents the city’s history, architecture and cultural monuments through this dense historic setting. The centre contains about 1,200 historic buildings, including roughly 650 officially protected cultural monuments. Zekate, Skënduli and Babameto houses preserve striking painted interiors, although some murals face neglect and unsuitable restoration. More than 200 former monument houses have been demolished or now stand in ruins. Restoration has focused especially on the bazaar, but some work has departed from traditional materials and methods.

Walking through Gjirokastra, you see restored façades beside abandoned buildings, collapsed walls and houses still awaiting repair. This contrast reveals how preservation continues alongside the needs of a living community. The steep streets and stone houses leave the clearest impression, with the city seeming to hold its neighbourhoods against the slopes.