Tirana - City of Albania

Tirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920.

In 1703, Tirana had about 4,000 inhabitants and by 1820 the number tripled to 12,000. The first census, conducted in 1923 (a few years after Tirana became capital city of Albania) showed a total population of 10,845.

After the end of communist rule in 1991, Tirana experienced its fastest population growth as people from rural areas moved to the capital in finding a better life. In 1990, Tirana had 250,000 inhabitants, but the large-scale influx since then from other parts of the country has increased the population to well over 800,000.

There are two main rivers that run through the city: the Lana and the Tirana. The city also contains a total of four lakes: Tirana Lake, Kodër-Kamëz Lake, Farka Lake, and Tufina Lake. Tirana's highest point measures 1,828 m. The city is on the same parallel as Naples, Madrid and Istanbul and on the same meridian as Budapest and Krakow.

from the word "Theranda", used by Greek and Latin sources to refer to the area, after the local term "te ranat", meaning fallen material, in reference to the composition of the terrain from hard earth carried down by water from the nearby mountains.

From "Tirkan", the name used by the sixth century Byzantine historian Procopius to refer to a castle, first built in the first century BC, on Mount Dajti, the ruins of which still stand.

The area now occupied by the city of Tirana has been populated since Paleolithic times dating back 30,000 to 10,000 years ago as some tools were found near Mount Dajt's quarry terrain, as well as inside the Cave of the Pellumba. It can be said that Tirana's precincts are one of the earliest regions in Albania to be inhabited. Various remains discovered in fortresses, churches, villages and during urban constructions in and around Tirana, give evidence to a continuous activity throughout the chronological stages of human development. The oldest discovery in the area of Tirana has been a mosaic with several other remains of buildings of the later antiquity, found at the Kroi i Shengjinit (Fountain of Shengjin), near a Medieval temple.

On February 8, 1920, Tirana was chosen as the temporary capital of Albania, which had acquired independence in 1912, by the Congress of Lushnja. The city retained that status permanently on December 31, 1925. From 1920 to 1924 Tirana experienced attacks from the Serbian army and the forces of Zogu at the Shkalla e Tujanit (Step of Tujan).

The center of Tirana was the project of Florestano de Fausto and Armando Brasini, well known architects of the Mussolini period in Italy. The Royal Palace (Palace of the Brigades), the Town Hall, the government ministry buildings, and the National Bank are their work. Dëshmorët e Kombit (National Martyrs) Boulevard was built in 1930 and named "Zogu I Boulevard". In the communist period, the part from Skanderbeg Square up to the train station was named "Stalin Boulevard". In 1939, Tirana was captured by Fascist forces. In November 1941, Enver Hoxha with other Albanian communists founded the Communist Party of Albania. The town became the center of the Albanian communists' in mobilizing the people of Tirana to fight against the Italian fascists and later Nazi Germans, while spreading ideological propaganda. The town was liberated after a fierce battle between the Communists and the people of Tirana against the German forces, on November 17th, 1944. The Nazis eventually withdrew and the communists seized power.

Tirana has a generally Mediterranean climate. The average temperature varies from a low of 2°C in January to a high of 31°C in July and August which are also the driest months, each with around 3 cm of precipitation on average. The wettest months are November, December, and February averaging between 15 to 20 cm.

The main cultural and artistic institutions of Tirana are the National Theater, the Theater of Opera and Ballet, the National Gallery of the Arts (Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve), and the Ensemble of Folk Music and Dances. Another cultural event includes performances of renown world composers performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Albanian Radio and Television. The city has been a venue for the Tirana Biennale and Tirana Jazz Festival.

Tirana is home to historical and cultural sites:

Castle/Fortress of Tirana (Kalaja e Tiranës), the historical core of the capital
Church Kroi of Shëngjin
Prezë Castle/Fortress
Petrela Castle/Fortress
Tirana's Mosque of Et'hem Bej|
The Center of Tirana, as a monumental ansemble
Tabaks' Bridge
Kapllan Pasha's Grave
The Clock Tower.