Historic Albania
The History of Albania
From the Bronze Age tribes of Illyria to a modern European republic: four thousand years of conquest, faith, resistance and rebirth. Explore the story below.
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From the Bronze Age tribes of Illyria to a modern European republic: four thousand years of conquest, faith, resistance and rebirth. Explore the story below.
Ten defining eras. Filter by theme to explore, then select any era to open a detailed account with images and cited sources.
A single century reshaped Albania's landmarks. Drag the slider across each image to travel between past and present.
Then
Now
The Pyramid of Tirana. Built in 1988 as a museum honouring the communist leader Enver Hoxha, seen here in 1996, it reopened as a bright public landmark after its 2023 renovation.
Then
Now
The Parliament building. Photographed in 1920 and again today, the Kuvendi building in Tirana has housed Albania's legislature for more than a century.
Then
Now
The Kapllan Pasha Tomb. An Ottoman tomb from the early 1800s, seen here around 1910 and now restored, ringed by the towers of the modern capital.
The double-headed eagle has flown over Albania through monarchy, occupation and revolution. Drag the slider, or press play, to watch the flag change with each regime.
Eight questions across four thousand years. How well do you know the Albanian story?