National History Museum, Tirana
The National history Museum was inaugurated on November 28, 1981. The country’s largest museum building occupies a total area of 27,000 m2 and has an exhibition area of 18,000 m2. The museum building stands out for a compact volume on a centrally composed square plan symmetrically in front of an atrium courtyard.
The National History Museum shows a pronounced taste for hermetism and tendentious monumentality, in full harmony with the aesthetic tinge and the general climate of the Hoxha regime.
A collection of 6200 archaeological treasures, artefacts and museum objects are showcased in its premises, with a majority of them dating back to the IV millennium BC, up to the second half of the XX century.
Here you can visit: Ancient Pavilion, Medieval Pavilion, Albanian National Renaissance Pavilion, Independence Pavilion, Icon Pavilion, LANÇ Pavilion, Communist Persecution Pavilion and Mother Teresa Pavilion.
Opening hours: Monday — Closed
Tuesday – Saturday — 10:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 09:00 – 14:00
Durres Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum was inaugurated on April 13, 2002, based on the original objects of the firs archaeological museum opened on March 13. 1951.
The exhibition features three main pavilions according to the historical periods. The first pavilion showcases prehistoric finds in and around the city. Arranged according to a chronological order, the city’s history is displayed, starting with the archaic, classical and Illyrian period until the 1st century BC. The topographic, economic, political and cultural development of Roman Dyrrachium is further revealed.
Thematically, this city testifies to the presence of an autochthonous Illyrian population with a rich spiritual world. Durrës is depicted as an urban center with a multi-branch economy that had established trade ties with many Mediterranean centres. The pavilion of the Middle Ages includes 15 centuries between V to XV centuries and it ends with the Ottoman period.
Vlora Independence Museum
It was founded in 1936 and is considered to be the first Albanian museum. Since its foundation, the museum has kept growing, consolidating and enriching its collection as one of the most important museum institutions not only in the southern district of Vlora, but also in a wider region. The site was declared a National Museum on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of National Independence. The building itself and everything exhibited inside it, represent one of the most important moments in the history of the Albanian nation. The foundations of the Albanian state were laid in this building.
For six months, the building served as the seat of the government of Ismail Qemali that was formed after Albania declared independence. The National Independence Museum is considered a preferable museum institution. The museum is arranged into two main divisions linked by two corridors. The museum houses original objects and records, including important Renaissance and Independence-era documents, as well as various artworks dedicated to this period, importance of which goes beyond local borders.
For the first time in many decades, the Independence Museum building was totally rehabilitated in 2002 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Declaration of National Independence. Thanks to this investment, this facility earned additional value and became more enjoyable for visitors. Dozens of citizens visit its premises every day.
The museum is located south of the city of Vlora, near the port.
National Museum of “Gjergj Kastrioti”, Krujë
The National Museum of “Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu,” or the Skanderbeg Museum, was inaugurated on November 1, 1982. The site was built within the Kruje Castle as the capital of Arberi state and an epitome of three consecutive defeats of the Ottoman armies in the XV century. Originally conceived as a memorial, the museum has been also seen as a traditional northern stone tower. The museum complex is arranged in several exhibition spaces, which are visited chronologically according to events. A rich collection of records, objects, documents and original bibliographies and authentic reproductions are exhibited, showing history of the Albanian people in the XV century and on.
The museum houses a number of pavilions, namely the pavilion of antiquity and the early Middle Ages, the pavilion of the Albanian principalities, the Ottoman conquest, the pavilion of medieval castles, the Albanian resistance, the chancellery of Skanderbeg, the library, the hall of princes, the pinacotheca and finally the pavilion of heritage and legacy. Ceramic, bronze, iron, copper items, various facsimiles, original icons, writings, the bell dating back to the year 1462, the XV century original swords etc.
National Ethnographic Museum in Kruja
The National ethnographic Museum in Kruja is one of Albania’s most unique museums.
The museum was founded on November 20, 1989 and it is set in an original Ottoman house called chardak built in 1764 and it belonged to the affluent Toptani family. The museum has been declared a Cultural Heritage site and a first category monument of culture.
The museum shows the level of luxury and self-sufficiency the household maintained by producing its own food, drink, leather and weapons. The artefacts displayed in this museum best showcase our people’s fighting and creative mentality and spirit over the centuries in handicrafts, agriculture, livestock, etc. These artefacts best prove the life of our people over the centuries and over time this museum continues today to be enriched with new objects belonging to different periods.
The objects exhibited in this museum, in addition to the fact that they represent various eras of the country’s history, a good part of them are authentic objects still functional.
This museum is unique of its kind in the entire Balkan region in terms of the style it represents and it has a museum guide, making the site accessible not only by Albanians but also by international visitors.
Berat Ethnographic Museum
Just off the steep hillside that leads up to Berat’s castle is the Ethnographic Museum of the city of Berat.
The museum is housed in a beautiful 18-century house located in the so-called buffer zone along main road leading to the city’s castle. After its restoration in 1979, the traditional house hosted the Ethnographic Museum if Berat. This traditional house is one of few typical buildings with chardak, a component of Ottoman Turkish house design, which has remained largely intact best preserving the external architectural values.
As it is the case with other traditional houses in Berat, traces of a post-earthquake reconstruction process in 1851 are evident, when the upper living floor was modified with a wooden-structure. The open hall of the house’s upper living floor (chardak) offers an impressive view on the north side of the building. The house’s interior and the different rooms are also interesting, with composition of the guest room with the ceiling standing out.
National Iconographic “Onufri” Museum, Berat
The museum houses a collection of 200 artwork objects, icons and liturgical items brought together from several churches and monasteries in the region of Berat. The collection holds artwork objects, icons and liturgical items dated from the 14th to early 20th century. The icons exhibited here are painted by renowned Albanian icon painters such as Onufri, Onufri’s son Nikolla, Onufër the Cypriot, David Selenica, Kostandin Shpataraku, the Çetiri tribe with Gjergji, Johani, Nikolla, Naumi, and his son Gjergji, as well as anonymous painters. The liturgical items bear the signature of Albanian silversmiths of various times, and the Cathedral woodcarvings were crafted by masters Stefan Barka and Naum Ngjela, from Misrasi and Lavdari, in Opari, in the early 19th Century.
The iconostasis of the cathedral of the Dormition of St Mary was created in 1807. It is considered a finest piece of the Albanian woodcarving. The iconostasis decorations feature some Baroque-style features and principles, a dominant and distinctive trend of churches built in the Balkans during the 18th and 19th centuries. All these motifs are intertwined with other elements of Byzantine tradition.
In a wooden chest near Iconostasis are preserved the remains or relics of two Saints Gorazdi and Angjellari (disciples of Saints Metodi and Kirili) who are thought to have accomplished their mission in the 9th century AD.
The Purple Codex of Berat and the Golden Codex of Anthimos were discovered beneath the apse floor on August 12th, 1968 inside a small metal box hidden in the crypt.They are also known as the “Codex Purpureus Beratinus” from the 6th century A.D, and the “Codex Aureus Anthimi” from the 9th century A.D, or as the Codices of Berat. They are monuments of culture and civilization, and genuine encyclopedias of the Christian thinking.The two Berat Codices are listed in the list of humanity’s most important works, known as “Memoire du Monde” under the protection of UNESCO.
Museum of Medieval Art in Korça
The National Museum of Medieval Art in Korça opens its doors to visitors. With a collection of 8000 icons and religious artworks, the Medieval Art Museum is housed in the newly-built house, where dozens of artefacts are showcased in the pavilions of this museum, one of Albania’s most important museum institutions. The National Museum of Medieval Art in Korça, thanks to its contemporary construction, is one of the most important destinations of Albania’s cultural heritage. Located along “Fan Noli” Boulevard in Korça, this museum is not only a visual exhibition of values, but also a unique institution in the region.
Archaeological Museum, Korça
National Archaeological Museum in Korça was founded in 1985 and it took a more complete form after the 1990 repurposing. The museum is housed in a typical Korça guesthouse of a larger XIX-century mansion, which have been declared monuments of culture for their architectural values.
The Archaeological Museum is one of a kind. It focuses on the prehistory of Albania’s southeast, starting from the Neolithic period to a more developed stage of the Iron Age. The museum has an excellent collection of around 1200 artefacts mainly from the Prehistoric period found throughout the region in sites of Maliq, Podgorica, Dunaveci and Trajan. The Archaeological Museum of Korça holds around 1200 artefacts, mainly dating back from the Neo-Eneolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages.
National Museum of Education, Korça
The National Museum of Education in Korça is set up in the building where the March 7, 1887 opened the first Albanian school. The Museum shows the history of Albanian writing, Albanian publications and the Albanian alphabet.
The National Museum of Education is housed in the 150-year old building, a Monument of Culture, where the first Albanian school opened, otherwise known as “the Mësonjëtorja”. The school was opened on March 7, 1887, on a permission issued by the Ottoman Empire. The building was the home of a Korça patriot, Diamanti Tërpo, who donated the building to the Albanian school. The Museum shows history of Albanian writing, the series of alphabets up to the nowadays alphabet established in the Congress of Manastir, in 1908. The Museum contains history of the Albanian book from the first Albanian children’s reading and spelling book (evetari, 1744), compiled by Naum Panajot Bredhi (Veqilharxhi).
The Museum houses eight exhibition spaces.
Marubi National Museum of Photography
The art of photography in our country begins in Shkodra in the 50s of the XIX century and is associated with the name of Pietro Marubi (1834 – 1903), originally from Piacenza (Italy), who sought political asylum in Shkodra, where he settled forever, establishing a photo studio “Marubi”, in the city center, the first of its kind in Albania. His work over forty years as a photographer has left important traces of historical and artistic values.
Mati Kodheli, the student of the Italian master, also gave his modest contribution to the “Marubi” photographic studio. From 1885, Mati’s brother, Kel Kodheli (1870-1940) also worked in this studio, which he inherited upon death of the master and started working independently, holding the surname “Marubi” as a tribute and gratitude to his generous teacher.
Along with the public demand increased, the activity of the studio “Marubi” enhanced, embracing and applying step by step the evolutionary techniques of photography, being distinguished for high quality and delivering on genuine artistic photography.
After death of Kel Marubi, third generation of Marubi dynasty was represented by his son, Gega, who preserved and further enriched this treasure trove, working with the same commitment and professionalism until the end of his life.
In 1970, the Marubi Photo Collection, which contains around 200 000 negatives, glass plates and celluloid, compiled by three generations of photographers for over 100 years and blending together national arts and memory of Shkodra and whole nation, was transferred to the Albanian state. The collection later expanded to include four more archives of negatives of outstanding values by prominent Shkodra photographers, namely Shan Pici, Rraboshta, Dedë Jakova and Angjelin Nënshati, with the number of negatives being preserved in this Museum almost doubled. It is worth noting that each of these photographers had created their own profile as artist photographers.
Comprising over 400000 negatives, these collections in addition to covering a long time span, they also cover a broad geographical area beyond borders of the Shkodra city and district. The collection of photographs feature thousand of portraits of citizens from Shkodra and elsewhere across Albania, as well as hundreds of local and national historical events, leading public figures and various personalities in politics, economy, society and culture.
The urban planning and monuments of the city of Shkodra and most of the cities of Albania and Montenegro have also been documented. Thousands of negatives that reflect the traditional clothing from all the ethnographic areas of Northern Albania, the typical Shkodra and village houses, the Grand Bazaar of Shkodra, natural landscapes of the Northern Alps, etc are of a special value.
A considerable number of negatives feature portraits and pictures of the consuls accredited in Shkodra and foreign political and military personalities, as well as thousands of soldiers and officers from Turkey, Italy, the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, France, Britain, Montenegro, etc. especially during the World War I and World War II.
In addition to the negatives, the Marubi Photo Collection also houses original registers since 1918, accurately recording the names of persons and groups of people and the exact date of photography.
The equipment and materials used by the Marubi dynasty photographers are of a special museum value.
National Museum of Secret Surveillance “House of Leaves”
The building known as the “House of Leaves” (so called because of the clambering plant covering its facade) has now returned to the Museum of Secret Surveillance. Opened on May 23, 2017, it is the newest museum in Albania and certainly the most intriguing one, an attempt to narrate one of the darkest periods of the country’s history to young people and to foreign visitors. Located in Tirana downtown, right in front of Orthodox Church: “The Resurrection of Christ” and near the Bank of Albania building, the site that once temporarily housed Gestapo during the occupation of Albania in WWII was turned into the Central Directorate of the Secret Service from 1944 to 1991.
As the history of Albania itself under the Communist dictatorship that was installed at the end of World War II and continued for almost half a century, the House of Leaves also, was covered for a long time with all sorts of legends and it comprised the unknown, a mystery. Whispers of people and rustling of leaves… By opening the doors of this house, presenting the activities that were conducted in it and many other things related to it, this museum will unfold simultaneously aspects of Albanian society in the conditions of a regime that aimed at the total control over the human bodies and souls.
Interceptions, checks, spying … that brought arrests, internments, tortures, severe punishments for quite many innocent people. This museum is dedicated to them…
Designed to feature 9 sections, the “House of Leaves” consists of 31 rooms which are connected in coherence with each other and each of them have a special function.
