Elbasan, Albania

A classic city of history and culture

Elbasan,a city located in the center of Albania  has seen it all. Its name derives from the word ‘fortress’ in Turkish. Starting from  its creation dating back to the Illyrian times , going to the Romans building its famous Egnatia street and having the Ottoman Empire built the castle which is one of the most important cultural heritage of this city.

Elbasan is the fourth most populous city of Albania. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in central Albania. The first sighting of this city dates back to the second century BC. Being called Skampius back then, it was in the Roman times that this city was the most developed. The Romans decided to build the famous via Eganatia, which is a strategic military and economical road that connected Rome to old Constantinopole.  This site seemed to be abandoned until the Ottoman Empire decided to build a military camp in this city. Around this time lies the creation of the city’s famous castle and fortress. It is said to have been built as a tool to protect the city between the Albanian and Ottoman wars.

Being occupied by a variety of groups during history including Serbs, Bulgarians, Austrians and Italians, we can certainly say that Elbasan has fought hard to keep its traditions and culture. Elbasan is known for the very first teacher’s training school in Albania. Known as ‘Normalja e Elbasanit’ , this vocational school has served as a learning pillar for many generations of teachers who have played an important role in the education of many people around Albania.

These are only a few things that make this city really interesting. We have yet to talk about the food and the churches and the mosques. You need to walk its streets to experience the mix and blending of different historical periods. I can guarantee that is worth visiting.

Prepared by: Sindi Hysa from Elbasan, Albania