Description of the attraction
The Ethnographic Museum is located in the Palorto area, which is considered one of the best preserved and most prestigious quarters of the old town of Gjirokastra.
The Museum of Ethnography stands on the site of the former residence of Enver Hoxha, the permanent dictator of communist Albania (reigned from 1944-1985). The new premises of the current museum were built in 1966, after the original building was badly damaged by fire. The model for the renovation was a traditional house of Gjirokastra architecture with classical features that are found throughout the city.
From 1966 to 1991, the building served as a place for the exposition of the anti-fascist museum. In 1991, the exhibits from the previous building were moved to these areas. There are four floors in the house, and all of them are open to the public.
The rooms themselves - the halls of the museum are also exhibits: they are located as they were actually used in everyday life. They display numerous household items, folk costumes and cultural artifacts of a typical wealthy family of merchants or Ottoman administrators who lived in Gjirokastra in the 19th century.
