The Culture of Tirana concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals and other entertainment in the capital city of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

is one of the country's leading business and cultural centers including entertainment, music, media, fashion, and the arts all contribute to its status as

's largest city.

Architecture

Tirana is home to different architectural styles that represent influential periods in its history dating back to the antiquity. The architecture of Tirana as the capital of

, was marked by two totalitarian regimes, by the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini during World War II and the communist regime. Both have left their mark on the city with their typical architecture. In addition to the objects of the architecture of the totalitarian regimes of 20th century, Tirana offers a couple of other such objects of both periods. The Palace of Brigades (former Palace of the Albania's

King Zog I Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's ...

), the ministries buildings, the government building and the municipality hall are designed by

Florestano Di Fausto Florestano Di Fausto (16 July 1890 – 11 January 1965) was an Italian architect, engineer and politician who is best known for his building designs in the Italian overseas territories around the Mediterranean. He is considered the most important ...

and

Armando Brasini Armando Brasini (Rome, 21 September 1879 - Rome, 18 February 1965) was a prominent Italian architect and urban designer of the early twentieth century and exemplar of Fascist architecture. His work is notable for its eclectic and visionary style i ...

, both well-known architects of the Mussolini period in Italy. The

Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard The Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard ( en, Boulevard of the Martyrs of the Nation) is a major thoroughfare in Tirana, Albania. It was initially designed by Armando Brasini in 1925. Brasini's master plan was later amended by Florestano di Fausto, ...

was built in 1930 and given the name

Boulevard. In the communist period, the part from

Skanderbeg Square The Skanderbeg Square () is the main plaza in the centre of Tirana, Albania. The square is named after the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu. The total area is about 40,000 square metres. The Skanderbeg Monument dominates the ...

up to the train station was named Stalin Boulevard. The Royal Palace or Palace of Brigades previously served as the official residence of King Zog I. It has been used by different Albanian governments for various purposes. Because of the outbreak of World War II, and the 1939

Italian invasion of Albania The Italian invasion of Albania (April 7–12, 1939) was a brief military campaign which was launched by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime m ...

fled Albania and never had a chance to see the Palace fully constructed. The Italians finished it and used it as the Army Headquarters. The Palace took its nickname Palace of Brigades because it was taken from the Italians by a people army brigade.

Museums

Tirana's museums and monuments are among its most highly esteemed attractions. The National Historical Museum is the largest Museum in the country and details the history of the country. It was opened on 28 October 1981 and is in size, while are available for exhibitions. It hosts some of the best archeological finds in country, dating from Prehistory to the modern

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

s. In the stands of the pavilion there are photos of global personalities who met

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was ...

as Jacques Chirac,

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

, Ibrahim Kodra and others. The National Archaeological Museum is the national archaeological museum is the first museum created after World War II in

. The National Art Gallery opened to the public on 11 January 1954. The museum preserves over 5000 artworks. The Natural Sciences Museum was founded in 1948 is affiliated with the

University of Tirana The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of f ...

and has branches in

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

and

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

. The former Enver Hoxha Museum is a pyramid-shaped structure dedicated to the communist dictator Enver Hoxha. It served as a museum about his legacy, but after the Fall of communism in Albania, it became a conference center and exhibition venue.

Festivals

Tirana is becoming a popular hub for different events. Festivals are one of several things that locals enjoy well. It has a large number of festivals and events. The diversity of festivals makes it possible for people of different tastes to find themselves in a city this small. Festivals in the city provide entertainment for the youth as well as for adults. The

Summer Festival Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

takes place every year on March 14, celebrating the Spring Day ( Albanian: Dita e Veres), the country's largest pagan festival. It is widely celebrated in Tirana and as well as in other cities in Albania and the Arbëresh colonies in Italy. Another major event, the

Tirana International Film Festival The Tirana International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the major annual events taking place in Tirana each year. It was the first international cinema festival in Albania. This cultural event was created in 2003 and is currently the most importan ...

takes place in Tirana each year, which brings a large number of artists to produce a wide range of interesting film works. Other festivals include the Tirana Jazz Festival, the Guitar Sounds Festival, the Albanian Wine Festival and more. In 2016, the first Telekom Electronic Beats Festival were held in Tirana, bringing the latest trends from the ''urban lifestyle'' to the Albanian youth. This is the effort of Tirana to increase the number of tourist visits. However, the city is become a popular destination for many young people around the region during the vacation period.

Nightlife

Tirana has a diverse and vibrant nightlife. Among the youth, the most popular destination is the

Blloku Ish-Blloku ( en, Ex-Block), commonly Blloku ( en, Block), is an upmarket area in Tirana, Albania. It widely known as an entertainment destination with its boutiques, shops, restaurants, trendy bars, pubs, and cafes. The area is part of the neigh ...

area. There are many pubs, bars, clubs, cafes, restaurants can be found throughout the area.

is quite a small, walking neighborhood, easily accessible from different parts of the city. The entrance is only 10 minutes by foot from the city centre. Among the most popular nightclubs are Folie Terrace, Cinco Cavalli, Lollipop, Moscow, Arena and Mumja Club, where world-famous disc jockeys and idiosyncratic local performances are frequent. Some of the most popular cafés in Tirana are Mon Chéri Coffee Shop, Sophie Caffe, Cioccolatitaliani Tirana, D'angelo Coffee Shop and The Tea Room. The largest hotels of the city are the Tirana International Hotel and The Plaza situated in the heart of the city near the

. The luxury Sheraton Hotel Tirana is also located in city center of Tirana, near central business district next to the National Arena. Other major hotels present in central Tirana include the Xheko Imperial Hotel, Rogner Hotel, Mondial Hotel and Hotel Opera Tirana. The Hilton Hotel will open very soon in Tirana.

Tourism

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

in Tirana is developing year by year since the

fall of communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...

and the capital city of Tirana become a very popular tourist destinations after the southern

Albanian Riviera The Albanian Riviera ( sq, Riviera shqiptare, ), also popularly known as Bregu, is a coastline along the Northeastern Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean Sea encompassing the districts of Sarandë and Vlorë in Southwestern Albania. It forms an impo ...

and northern part of the country. Tirana has a majority of luxury hotels, modern restaurants, bars, pubs and very big nightclubs. Tirana is a place that is known as a university center of students from regional countries like Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Greece. According to the Polish Tour Operators Association, Tirana has entered into the 10th most visited cities by the Poles. The French

Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic Desautez is de ...

ranked Tirana also to the Top 10 of best destination to be visited in 2017. Most tourists to the city come from

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

and Europe, with the number of visitors from elsewhere growing every year, thanks to an increasing number of international airline arrivals at Mother Teresa International Airport as well as luxury cruises that arrive into the

Port of Durrës The Port of Durrës ( sq, Porti i Durrësit) is the largest seaport of Albania. The port is situated in the city of Durrës. It is an artificial basin that is formed between two moles, with a west-northwesterly oriented entrance approximately wid ...

that offers day trips to the city.

References