Description of the attraction
The Citadel of Gjirokastra is located 336 meters above sea level. The castle rises above the city, from its walls and towers, a strategically important route along the river valley is perfectly visible.
The fort is open to visitors; inside there is a military museum with various types of weapons, artillery pieces of the 18-19th century and military equipment. It also houses memorabilia of the communist resistance to the German occupation and a hijacked US Air Force plane. The American aircraft was shot down in the late 1940s and was one of the first exhibits in the museum to symbolize the struggle of the communist regime against the "imperialist" Western powers.
The citadel existed in its original form even before the 12th century. Extensive renovations and reconstruction with new buildings in the western part were carried out after 1812, during the reign of Ali Pasha Tepelen. The government of King Ahmet Zogu expanded the castle's prisons in 1932. The casemates of the fortress were widely used by the Zogu regime for the detention of political prisoners.
Today the citadel has five towers and buildings, a museum, a clock tower, a church, and a sewage system. On the territory of the fortress-museum, stages of the National Folklore Festival and many other important solemn events take place.
