Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra World Heritage Site

Official name

Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra | UNESCO

Country

Albania | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

40.7410° Lat, 20.1408° Lon | Map

Code

569

Time Zone

Europe/Tirane (CET, +0100)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2005. Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417. Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period.