Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër rises in southern Albania, in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River, about 300 metres above sea level. Its old town forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with narrow cobbled streets, stone houses and distinctive roofs beneath Gjirokastër Fortress.
The settlement grew around the fortress hill, with early fortifications dating from the fifth or sixth centuries. Medieval records mention it in 1336, while Ottoman rule shaped its architecture, faiths and neighbourhoods. Evliya Çelebi later described 2,000 houses, eight mosques, three churches and 280 shops around the castle. The city also became a centre for Bektashi Sufism and the Albanian National Awakening, before preserving its historic character as a museum city under communism.
Enver Hoxha and Ismail Kadare were born here, while the fortress hosts the National Folk Festival every five years. Alongside Albanian residents, Greek, Aromanian, Romani and Balkan Egyptian communities contribute to the city’s cultural character.
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Take this page with you
The myTuur app is free, and once you are standing at a spot its story starts by itself.
Spots like this one are the stops myTuur strings into tours through Gjirokastra. In the app, each story begins where you stand: walk up to a spot and it starts, read it on screen or listen as you go, then follow the route to the next one.
What is myTuur?
myTuur is a free city-guide app. Its tours are built from spots, and each spot carries a story that starts when you get there, to read or to listen to as you like.