History

Recent History

Tirana today is a chimera of Ottoman mosques, elegant Italian '30s architecture, remnants of socialist-realist art and a more recent outbreak of modern buildings.

Pollution has recently become an annoyance for the city, as overpopulation - also causing a strain on infrastructure and resources - has caused an increase of road traffic. This is exacerbated by the fact that many of the vehicles are old and run on diesel fuel that is subject to more impurities than is the norm for many parts of Europe.

Modern Day History

In 1920 the city was made the capital of Albania when the powers-that-be decided it was better to rule the country from its centre rather than from Durrës, the more vulnerable capital on the coast.

During WWII, Tirana became the hub of the country's anti-occupation resistance when Albania was overrun by Italian and German troops. Just under two years after Albania's liberation from Axis armies in 1944, the country was declared a communist people's republic. From then on, much of the city's development and expansion was due to the Soviets and then the Chinese, until the fall of the Communist state in 1991.

Pre 20th Century History

Taking its name from a castle situated on Mount Dajti, Tirana was founded by a Turkish pasha (military governor) in 1614. It developed into a craft centre with a lively bazaar, exporting mostly tabacco and olive oil, and its population grew steadily over the next two centuries.

The 1820s saw the erection and of the city's two signature buildings, the mosque and the clock tower respectively.