Elbasan Castle is one of the rarest monuments of its kind in Albania

In the ancient city full of rich history and culture, Elbasan, which is located in the very heart of Albania, about 40 kilometers from the capital Tirana, you can truly experience everything. However, its biggest attraction is certainly the Elbasan castle, thanks to which the city itself developed.

Elbasan Castle, Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0

The history of this castle takes us back 2000 years, to the time of the Romans who originally built it. Its mighty walls spread over 10 hectares, and then it bore the name Scampis. It served its purpose throughout the centuries, but unfortunately, those same walls did not withstand the wars that engulfed this region in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Its new appearance, which was built on the same foundations, was taken on only in the 15th century by Emperor Justinian, who decided to restore it and give it a new purpose, that of an observation point for the famous Via Egnatia route.

Elbasan Castle, Photo: Dynamoland Depositphotos

Very soon, the Ottoman Empire arrived at Elbasan Castle under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II, when it became a military shelter and a base for military operations against the Albanian hero Skanderbeg. But that didn’t last long either, because it began to develop as a center of Albanian nationalism, serving for centuries as a refuge for history, culture, and language.

Elbasan Castle, Photo: Dynamoland Depositphotos

Elbasan Castle reached its peak of development only in the 17th century when it became a real trade center. Within its walls, at that time it had slightly more than 2,000 houses, and 900 shops of various handicrafts, leather, silk, and metal. The stronger the city became, the more people began to move outside the walls, and that’s how the city we know today developed.

Today, within the part of the walls that have survived, Elbasan Castle hides various monuments, tombs, a clock tower that still works today, a Turkish bath, Catholic and Orthodox churches, an old school, the King’s Mosque, a women’s hammam, and diverse architecture that developed in 19th and 20th centuries.

Elbasan Castle, Photo: Dynamoland Depositphotos

For tourists, going inside the walls provides a unique overview of everything that happened here over the centuries. It is a place where you will learn more about culture, tolerance between religions, and history, but also enjoy the various refreshments and tastes of Albania while walking through its streets.

Be sure to visit it!