The Adriatic Charter is an association formed by Albania , Croatia , North Macedonia and the United States for the purpose of aiding their attempts to join NATO .
137-646: The Adriatic Charter was signed on 2 May 2003 in Tirana under the aegis of the United States . The role of the United States has caused some confusion; in discussions in the other member states, the Charter is often called the U.S.-Adriatic Charter. In September 2008 Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina were invited to join the Charter and joined on December 4, 2008. Serbia accepted observer status at
274-585: A bazaar and included several watermills , even before 1614, when Sulejman Bargjini , a local ruler, built the Old Mosque , a small commercial centre, and a hammam (Turkish bath). This is confirmed by oral sources, which state that there were two earlier mosques 300–400 m from the Old Mosque, towards today's Ali Demi Street . The Mosque of Reç and the Mosque of Mujo were positioned on the left side of
411-647: A gamma-world-city , Tirana is the most important economic, financial, political, and trade centre in Albania due to its significant location in the centre of the country and its modern air , maritime , rail and road transportation . As the seat of power of the Government of Albania , it hosts the official residences of the President and Prime Minister of Albania and the Parliament of Albania . The city
548-525: A 'small water snake'. The Illyrian ethnonym shows a dl > ll shift via assimilation as well as the addition of the suffix - uri(o) which is found in Illyrian toponyms such as Tragurium . Eichner also points out the tribal name's close semantic correspondence to that of the Enchelei which translates to 'eel-people', depicting a similar motif of aquatic snake-like fauna. It is also pointed out that
685-642: A Celtic people mixed with the indigenous Illyrian and Thracian population. The Pannonians have not been known to the Greeks, and it seems that before the 2nd century BC they did not come into contact with the Romans. Almost all the Greek writers referred to the Pannonians with the name Paeones until late Roman times. The Scordisci and Pannonians were considered Illyrian mainly because they belonged to Illyricum since
822-694: A dispersal from the western Balkans towards this region, perhaps via an intermediary group in the Italian peninsula. Different versions of the genealogy of the Illyrians, their tribes and their eponymous ancestor, Illyrius , existed in the ancient world both in fictional and non-fictional Greco-Roman literature. The fact that there were many versions of the genealogical story of Illyrius was ascertained by Ancient Greek historian Appian (1st–2nd century AD). However, only two versions of all these genealogical stories are attested. The first version—which reports
959-464: A fight and to face danger but slow witted". Illyrian rulers wore bronze torques around their necks. Apart from conflicts between Illyrians and neighbouring nations and tribes, numerous wars were recorded among Illyrian tribes too. The languages spoken by the Illyrian tribes are an extinct and poorly attested Indo-European language group, and it is not clear whether the languages belonged to
1096-639: A group of Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks . The territory the Illyrians inhabited came to be known as Illyria to later Greek and Roman authors, who identified a territory that corresponds to most of Albania , Montenegro , Kosovo , much of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina , western and central Serbia and some parts of Slovenia between
1233-514: A kingdom established on the north-western borders of Upper Macedonia . From the 5th century BC onwards, the term Illyrian was already applied to a large ethnic group whose territory extended deep into the Balkan mainland. Ancient Greeks clearly considered the Illyrians as a completely distinct ethnos from both the neighboring Thracians and the Macedonians . Most scholars hold that
1370-621: A narrow asphalt mountain road onto an area known as Fusha e Dajtit. From this small area there is a view of Tirana and its plain. Tiranë river flows through the city, as does the Lanë river. Tirana is home to several artificial lakes, including Tirana , Farka, Tufina, and Kashar. The present municipality was formed in the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities of Baldushk, Bërzhitë, Dajt, Farkë, Kashar, Krrabë, Ndroq, Petrelë, Pezë, Shëngjergj, Tirana, Vaqarr, Zall-Bastar and Zall-Herr, which became municipal units. The seat of
1507-527: A number of events. Personalities visited the capital, such as former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Pope John Paul II . The former visit came amidst the historical setting after the fall of communism, as hundreds of thousands were chanting in Skanderbeg Square Baker's famous saying of "Freedom works!". Pope John Paul II became the first major religious leader to visit Tirana, though Mother Teresa had visited few years prior. During
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#17327839556911644-680: A pressing concern as the number of cars has increased. These are mostly 1990s and early 2000s diesel cars, while it is widely believed that the fuel used in Albania contains larger amounts of sulfur and lead than in the European Union . Effective 1 January 2019, the government has imposed an import ban of used vehicles made prior to 2005 in an effort to curb pollution, encourage the buying of new cars from certified domestic dealerships, and to improve overall road safety. Another source of pollution are PM10 and PM2.5 inhaled particulate matter and NO 2 gases resulting from rapid growth in
1781-580: A small group of people on the coast, the Illyrioi / Illyrii (first mentioned by Pseudo-Skylax and later described by Pliny the Elder ), and thereafter applied to all of the people of the region; this has been explained by the substantial evidence of Minoan and Mycenaean contact in the valley where the Illyrioi/Illyrii presumably lived. According to the latter hypothesis the label Illyrians
1918-409: A speech he attributes to Brasidas , in which he recounts that the mode of rulership among the Illyrian tribes is that of dynasteia —which Thucidides used in reference to foreign customs—neither democratic, nor oligarchic. Brasidas then goes on to explain that in the dynasteia the ruler rose to power "by no other means than by superiority in fighting". Pseudo-Scymnus (2nd century BC) in reference to
2055-637: A strong reputation for piracy especially common during the regency of king Agron and later queen Teuta . They used fast and maneuverable ships of types known as lembus and liburna which were subsequently used by the Ancient Macedonians and Romans. Livy described the Illyrians along with the Liburnians and Istrians as nations of savages in general noted for their piracy. Illyria appears in Greco-Roman historiography from
2192-602: A vital component of the economy. Tirana has been officially dubbed as 'The Place Beyond Belief' by local authorities. The increasing number of international arrivals at the Tirana International Airport and Port of Durrës from across Europe, Australia and Asia has rapidly grown the number of foreign visitors in the city. The largest hotels of the city are the Tirana International Hotel , Maritim Plaza Tirana both situated in
2329-554: Is Velleius Paterculus , which was incorporated into the second book of Roman History . Another ancient source about it is the biography of Octavius Augustus by Pliny the Elder . The two leaders of uprising were Bato the Breucian and Bato the Daesitiate . Geographically, the name 'Illyria' came to mean Roman Illyricum which from the 4th century to the 7th century signified the prefecture of Illyricum . It covered much of
2466-548: Is a matter of debate among scholars, and includes the hypothesis of the origin of the Albanian language from an Illyrian language , which is often supported by scholars for obvious geographic and historical reasons but not proven. While the Illyrians are largely recorded under the ethnonyms of Illyrioi ( Ἰλλυριοί ) and Illyrii, these appear to be misspelt renditions by Greek or Latin-speaking writers. Based on historically attested forms denoting specific Illyrian tribes or
2603-452: Is projected to be a multifunctional terminal for rail, tram and bus transportation. City officials have also talked about a light rail extension all the way to the location of the former rail station. The new rail line from Tirana through Nënë Tereza International Airport to Durrës has started construction. In 2012, the Tirana municipality published a report according to which a project on
2740-521: Is simultaneously the premier air gateway to the country. The airport was officially named in honour of the Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa. It connects Tirana with many destinations in different countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The airport carried more than 3.3 million passengers in 2019 and is also the principal hub for the country's flag carrier , Air Albania . The city's geographical location in
2877-543: Is the capital and largest city of Albania . It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the distance. It is among the wettest and sunniest cities in Europe, with 2,544 hours of sun per year. Tirana was founded in 1614 by Ottoman Albanian general Sylejman Pasha Bargjini , centered on
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#17327839556913014-735: Is traced to increased contacts with the Mediterranean and La Tène 'global worlds'. This catalyzed "the development of more complex political institutions and the increase in differences between individual communities". Emerging local elites selectively adopted either La Tène or Hellenistic and, later, Roman cultural templates "in order to legitimize and strengthen domination within their communities. They were competing fiercely through either alliance or conflict and resistance to Roman expansion. Thus, they established more complex political alliances, which convinced (Greco-Roman) sources to see them as 'ethnic' identities." The Roman Republic subdued
3151-468: Is unlikely that they used any collective nomenclature at all. Most modern scholars are certain that all the peoples of western Balkans that were collectively labeled as 'Illyrians' were not a culturally or linguistically homogeneous entity. For instance, some tribes like the Bryges would not have been identified as Illyrian. What criteria were initially used to define this group of peoples or how and why
3288-623: The Adriatic Sea in the west, the Drava river in the north, the Morava river in the east and the Ceraunian Mountains in the south. The first account of Illyrian people dates back to the 6th century BC, in the works of the ancient Greek writer Hecataeus of Miletus . The name "Illyrians", as applied by the ancient Greeks to their northern neighbors, may have referred to a broad, ill-defined group of people. It has been suggested that
3425-556: The Adriatic Sea . The Romans came nevertheless into a series of conflicts with the Illyrians, equally known as the Illyrian Wars , beginning in 229 BC until 168 BC as the Romans defeated Gentius at Scodra . The Great Illyrian Uprising took place in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century AD, in which an alliance of native peoples revolted against the Romans. The main ancient source that describes this military conflict
3562-599: The Albanian language started to be taught in Tirana's schools, and the patriotic club Bashkimi was founded in 1908. On 28 November 1912, the national flag was raised in Vlorë by President Ismail Qemali , marking the symbolic birth of Albania as a sovereign country. The next years, however, were marked by turmoil. During the Balkan Wars , Tirana was temporarily occupied by the Serbian army and it took part in uprising of
3699-465: The Autostrada 1 (A1). During the communist regime in Albania , a plan for the construction of a ring road around Tirana arose in 1989s with no implementation until the 2010s. It is of major importance, especially concerning the demographic growth of the metropolitan region of Tirana as well as the importance of the economy. Although, constructions for the nowadays completed southern section of
3836-758: The Azali were transferred from their homeland to frontier areas (northern Hungary) after the Great Illyrian Revolt. In Dacia , Illyrian communities like the Pirustae who were skilled miners were settled to the gold mines of Alburnus Maior where they formed their own communities. In Trajan 's period these population movements were likely part of a deliberate policy of resettling, while later they involved free migrations. In their new regions, they were free salaried workers. Inscriptions show that by that era many of Illyrians had acquired Roman citizenship. By
3973-575: The Central Region of Albania and consists of the rural administrative units of Baldushk , Bërzhitë , Dajt , Farkë , Kashar , Krrabë , Ndroq , Petrelë , Pezë , Shëngjergj , Vaqarr , Zall-Bastar , Zall-Herr and Tirana. The administrative unit of Tirana is further partitioned into eleven urban administrative units, namely Tirana 1 , Tirana 2 , Tirana 3 , Tirana 4 , Tirana 5 , Tirana 6 , Tirana 7 , Tirana 8 , Tirana 9 , Tirana 10 and Tirana 11 . The Mayor of Tirana along with
4110-573: The Communist Party of Albania , and Enver Hoxha soon emerged as its leader. The town soon became the centre of the Albanian communists, who mobilised locals against Italian fascists and later Nazi Germans, while spreading ideological propaganda. On 4 February 1944, the Gestapo , supported by the forces of Xhafer Deva , executed 86 anti-fascists in Tirana. On 17 November 1944, the town
4247-573: The Daunii and the Peucetii . Based on historical and archaeological data, it has been widely thought that Messapic reached Apulia through the Illyrian migrations across the Adriatic Sea. On both sides of the border region between southern Illyria and northern Epirus, the contact between the Illyrian and Greek languages produced an area of bilingualism between the two, although it is unclear how
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4384-778: The EU-Western Balkans summit , marking the inaugural summit to be held outside the European Union's borders. On 21 September 2024, it was reported that Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama was planning to create the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order , a sovereign microstate for the Order within Tirana. Tirana extends at the Plain of Tirana in the centre of Albania between the mount of Dajti in
4521-425: The Enchelei had chosen to be their leaders. He eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the whole Illyrian people. In one of these versions, Illyrius was named so after Cadmus left him by a river named the Illyrian , where a serpent found and raised him. Appian writes that many mythological stories were still circulating in his time, and he chose a particular version because it seemed to be
4658-458: The Enchelei , which seems to have reached its height from the 8th–7th centuries BC, but the kingdom fell from dominant power around the 6th century BC. It seems that the weakening of the kingdom of Enchelae resulted in their assimilation and inclusion into a newly established Illyrian realm at the latest in the 5th century BC, marking the arising of the Dassaretii , who appear to have replaced
4795-586: The Lana River and were older than the Old Mosque. Later, the Et'hem Bey Mosque , built by Molla Bey of Petrela , was constructed. It employed the best artisans in the country and was completed in 1821 by Molla's son Etëhem , who was also Sulejman Bargjini's great-nephew. In 1800, the first newcomers arrived in the settlement , the so-called ortodoksit . They were Aromanians from villages near Korçë and Pogradec , who settled around modern day Tirana Park on
4932-756: The Mosaics of Tirana . With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fourth century, most of Albania came under the control of the eastern Byzantine Empire , as evident by the Petrelë Castle built during the reign of Justinian I . The city was fairly unimportant until the 20th century, when the Congress of Lushnjë proclaimed it as Albania's capital after the Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912. Classified as
5069-563: The Mussolini period in Italy. Brasini laid the basis for the modern-day arrangement of the ministerial buildings in the city centre. The plan underwent revisions by Albanian architect Eshref Frashëri, Italian architect Castellani and Austrian architects Weiss and Kohler. The modern Albanian parliament building served as an officers' club. It was there that, in September 1928, Zog of Albania
5206-720: The Old Mosque and türbe . The site of present-day Tirana has been continuously inhabited since the Iron Age and was likely the core of the Illyrian Kingdom of the Taulantii , which in Classical Antiquity was centred in the hinterland of Epidamnus . Following the Illyrian Wars , it was annexed by Rome and became an integral part of the Roman Empire ; the heritage of that period is reflected by
5343-674: The Presidenca and Kryeministria , respectively, nevertheless the Parliament of Albania is headquartered at the Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard . Tirana is also the home to the national Constitutional Court and Supreme Court . Important national institutions housed in Tirana include the Appeal Court and Administrative Court . The Bank of Albania is located at the Skanderbeg Square while other institutions such as
5480-527: The Taulantii , Parthini , Dardani , Encheleae , Autariates , Dassaretii and the Daorsi . Autareius had a son Pannonius or Paeon and these had sons Scordiscus and Triballus . Appian's genealogy was evidently composed in Roman times encompassing barbarian peoples other than Illyrians like Celts and Galatians . and choosing a specific story for his audience that included most of the peoples who dwelled in
5617-690: The Urnfield - Lusatian culture into the west Balkans has ever been found. Mathieson et al. 2018 archaeogenetic study included three samples from Dalmatia : two Early & Middle Bronze Age (1631-1521/1618-1513 calBCE) samples from Veliki Vanik (near Vrgorac ) and one Iron Age (805-761 calBCE) sample from Jazinka Cave in Krka National Park . According to ADMIXTURE analysis they had approximately 60% Early European Farmers , 33% Western Steppe Herders and 7% Western Hunter-Gatherer -related ancestry. The male individual from Veliki Vanik carried
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5754-581: The Venetic language in the Italian Peninsula but this view was abandoned. Other scholars have linked them with the adjacent Thracian language supposing an intermediate convergence area or dialect continuum , but this view is also not generally supported. All these languages were likely extinct by the 5th century AD although traditionally, the Albanian language is identified as the descendant of Illyrian dialects that survived in remote areas of
5891-669: The Y-DNA haplogroup J2b2a1-L283 while his and two female individuals mtDNA haplogroup were I1a1 , W3a1 and HV0e . Freilich et al. 2021 identify the Veliki Vanik samples as related to the Cetina culture (EBA-MBA western Balkans). Patterson et al. 2022 study examined 18 samples from the Middle Bronze Age up to Early Iron Age Croatia, which was part of Illyria. Out of the nine Y-DNA samples retrieved, which coincide with
6028-447: The centum or the satem group. The Illyrians were subject to varying degrees of Celticization , Hellenization , Romanization and later Slavicization which possibly led to the extinction of their languages. In modern research, use of concepts like "Hellenization" and "Romanization" has declined as they have been criticized as simplistic notions which cannot describe the actual processes through which material development moved from
6165-544: The tertiary sector is the most important for the economy of Tirana and employs more than 68% of work force of Tirana. 26% of the working population makes up the secondary sector followed by the primary sector with only 5%. The city began to develop at the beginning of the 16th century as it was part of the Ottoman Empire, when a bazaar was established, and its craftsmen manufactured silk and cotton fabrics, leather, ceramics and iron, silver and gold artefacts. In
6302-403: The 10th century BC up to the 1st century AD in the region defined by the Ancient Greek and Roman historians as Illyria . It concerns the armed conflicts of the Illyrian tribes and their kingdoms in the Balkan Peninsula and the Italian Peninsula as well as their pirate activity in the Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean Sea . The Illyrians were a notorious seafaring people with
6439-581: The 1920s placed the proto-Illyrians as the original inhabitants of a very large area which reached central Europe. These theories, which have been dismissed, were used in the politics of the era and its racialist notions of Nordicism and Aryanism . The main fact which these theories tried to address was the existence of traces of Illyrian toponymy in parts of Europe beyond the western Balkans, an issue whose origins are still unclear. The specific theories have found little archaeological corroboration, as no convincing evidence for significant migratory movements from
6576-462: The 20th century, the city and its surrounding areas expanded rapidly and became the most heavily industrialised region of the country. The most significant contribution is made by the tertiary sector which has developed considerably since the fall of communism in Albania. Forming the financial centre of the country, the financial industry is a major component of the city's tertiary sector and remains in good conditions overall due to privatization and
6713-429: The 4th century BC. Illyrians were regarded as bloodthirsty, unpredictable, turbulent, and warlike by Ancient Greeks and Romans. They were seen as savages on the edge of their world. Polybius (3rd century BC) wrote: "the Romans had freed the Greeks from the enemies of all mankind". According to the Romans, the Illyrians were tall and well-built. Herodianus writes that " Pannonians are tall and strong always ready for
6850-534: The Ancient Greeks must have learned this name from a tribe in southern Illyria, later applying it to all related and neighbouring peoples. The terms Illyrians , Illyria and Illyricum have been used throughout history for ethnic and geographic contextualizations that have changed over time. Re-contextualizations of these terms often confused ancient writers and modern scholars. Notable scholarly efforts have been dedicated to trying to analyze and explain these changes. The first known mention of Illyrians occurred in
6987-413: The Artificial Lake . They started to be known as the llacifac and were the first Christians to arrive after the creation of the town. In 1807, Tirana became the centre of the Subprefecture of Krujë-Tirana. After 1816, Tirana languished under the control of the Toptani family of Krujë . Later, Tirana became a sub-prefecture of the newly created Vilayet of Shkodër and the Sanjak of Durrës. In 1889,
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#17327839556917124-400: The Balkans during the Middle Ages but evidence "is too meager and contradictory for us to know whether the term Illyrian even referred to a single language". The ancestor dialects of the Albanian language would have survived somewhere along the boundary of Latin and Ancient Greek linguistic influence, the Jireček Line . There are various modern historians and linguists who believe that
7261-473: The Balkans turmoil in the mid-1990s, the city experienced dramatic events such as the unfolding of the 1997 unrest in Albania and a failed coup d'état on 14 September 1998. In 1999, following the Kosovo War , Tirana Airport became a NATO airbase, serving its mission in the former Yugoslavia. During his term from 2000 to 2011, the former mayor of Tirana , Edi Rama , undertook a campaign to demolish illegal constructed buildings across Tirana as well as along
7398-532: The Cabinet of Tirana exercises executive power. The Assembly of Tirana functions as the city parliament and consists of 55 members, serving four-year terms. It primarily deals with budget, global orientations and relations between the city and the Government of Albania . It has 14 committees and its chairman is Aldrin Dalipi from the Socialist Party. Each of the members have a specific portfolio such as economy, finance, juridical, education, health care, and several professional services, agencies and institutes. In 2000,
7535-404: The Dalmatian islands. After Philip II of Macedon defeated Bardylis (358 BC), the Grabaei under Grabos II became the strongest state in Illyria. Philip II killed 7,000 Illyrians in a great victory and annexed the territory up to Lake Ohrid . Next, Philip II reduced the Grabaei, and then went for the Ardiaei , defeated the Triballi (339 BC), and fought with Pleurias (337 BC). During
7672-526: The Early Iron Age Illyrians made "part of the same Mediterranean continuum" with the "autochthonous [...] Roman Republicans " and had high affinity with Daunians , part of Iapygians in Apulia , southeastern Italy. Iron Age male samples from Daunian sites have yielded J-M241>J-L283+, R-M269>Z2103+ and I-M223 lineages. Three Bronze Age males which carry J-L283 have been found in the Late Bronze Age Nuragic civilization of Sardinia . This late find in Sardinia in comparison to western Balkan samples suggests
7809-412: The Elder and Pomponius Mela used the term Illyrii proprie dicti ('properly called Illyrians') to designate a people that was located in the coast of modern Albania and Montenegro. Many modern scholars view the 'properly called Illyrians' as a trace of the Illyrian kingdom known in the sources from the 4th century BC until 167 BC, which was ruled in Roman times by the Ardiaei and Labeatae when it
7946-425: The Enchelei in the lakeland area of Lychnidus . According to a number of modern scholars the dynasty of Bardylis —the first attested Illyrian dynasty—was Dassaretan. The weakening of the Enchelean realm was also caused by the strengthening of another Illyrian kingdom established in its vicinity—that of the Taulantii —which existed for some time along with that of the Enchelei. The Taulantii—another people among
8083-476: The Illyrian settlements and suppressed the piracy that had made the Adriatic unsafe for Roman commerce. There were three campaigns : the first against Teuta , the second against Demetrius of Pharos and the third against Gentius . The initial campaign in 229 BC marks the first time that the Roman Navy crossed the Adriatic Sea to launch an invasion. The impetus behind the emergence of larger regional groups, such as "Iapodes", "Liburnians", "Pannonians" etc.,
8220-474: The Illyrian tribes never collectively identified as "Illyrians", and that it is unlikely that they used any collective nomenclature at all. Illyrians seems to be the name of a specific Illyrian tribe who were among the first to encounter the ancient Greeks during the Bronze Age . The Greeks later applied this term Illyrians , pars pro toto , to all people with similar language and customs. In archaeological, historical and linguistic studies, research about
8357-455: The Illyrians as a whole (e.g., Úlloí ( Ύλλοί ) and Hil(l)uri ), the native tribal name from which these renditions were based has been reconstructed by linguists such as Heiner Eichner as * Hillurio- (< older * Hullurio- ). According to Eichner, this ethnonym, translating to 'water snake', is derived from Proto-Indo-European * ud-lo ('of water, aquatic') sharing a common root with Ancient Greek üllos ( ϋλλος ) meaning 'fish' or
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#17327839556918494-454: The Illyrians during the 2nd century BC. An Illyrian revolt was crushed under Augustus , resulting in the division of Illyria in the provinces of Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. Depictions of the Illyrians, usually described as "barbarians" or "savages", are universally negative in Greek and Roman sources. Prior to the Roman conquest of Illyria , the Roman Republic had started expanding its power and territory across
8631-428: The Illyrians expanded. The area of the Illyrii proprie dicti is largely included in the southern Illyrian onomastic province in modern linguistics. The Illyrians emerged from the fusion of PIE-descended Yamnaya -related population movements ca. 2500 BCE in the Balkans with the pre-existing Balkan Neolithic population, initially forming "Proto-Illyrian" Bronze Age cultures in the Balkans. The proto-Illyrians during
8768-441: The Illyrians". Since the Middle Ages the term "Illyrian" has been used principally in connection with the Albanians , although it was also used to describe the western wing of the Southern Slavs up to the 19th century, being revived in particular during the Habsburg monarchy . In Byzantine literature, references to Illyria as a defined region in administrative terms end after 1204 and the term specifically began to refer only to
8905-411: The Illyrians, from the late 19th to the 21st century, has moved from Pan-Illyrian theories , which identified as Illyrian even groups north of the Balkans to more well-defined groupings based on Illyrian onomastics and material anthropology since the 1960s as newer inscriptions were found and sites excavated. There are two principal Illyrian onomastic areas: the southern and the Dalmatian-Pannonian, with
9042-527: The Illyricum of the Antonine era . However, the inclusion in his genealogy of the Enchelei and the Autariatae , whose political strength has been highly weakened, reflects a pre-Roman historical situation. Basically, ancient Greeks included in their mythological accounts all the peoples with whom they had close contacts. In Roman times, ancient Romans created more mythical or genealogical relations to include various new peoples, regardless of their large ethnic and cultural differences. Appian's genealogy lists
9179-462: The MBA-IA Velim Kosa tumuli of Liburni in Croatia (J-PH1602), and similar in LBA-IA Velika Gruda tumuli in Montenegro (J-Z2507 > J-Z1297 > J-Y21878). The oldest J-L283 (> J-Z597) sample in the study was found in MBA Shkrel , northern Albania as early as the 19th century BCE. In northern Albania, IA Çinamak, half of them men carried J-L283 (> J-Z622, J-Y21878) and the other half R-M269 (R-CTS1450, R-PF7563). The oldest sample in Çinamak dates to
9316-400: The Region. Tirana is twinned with Ankara , Beijing , Bursa , Doha , Florence , Kharkiv , Sarajevo and has signed partnership agreements with Verona and Zagreb . It has also signed special bilateral agreements with Zaragoza . Tirana is the heart of the economy of Albania and the most industrialised and economically fastest growing region in Albania. Of the main sectors ,
9453-424: The affairs in the internal conflicts between aristocrats and democrats. The Taulantian kingdom seems to have reached its climax during Glaukias ' rule, in the years between 335 BC and 302 BC. The Illyrian kingdoms frequently came into conflicts with the neighbouring Ancient Macedonians , and the Illyrian pirates were also seen as significant threat to the neighbouring peoples. At the Neretva Delta , there
9590-421: The area of the Dardani as a region of overlapping between the two. A third area, to the north of them – which in ancient literature was usually identified as part of Illyria – has been connected more to the Venetic language than to Illyrian. Illyric settlement in Italy was and still is attributed to a few ancient tribes which are thought to have migrated along the Adriatic shorelines to the Italian peninsula from
9727-417: The biography of the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg , Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis ( The story of life and deeds of Skanderbeg, the prince of Epirotes ), referred to this area as a small village, distinguishing between "Little Tirana" and "Great Tirana". It is later mentioned in 1572 as Borgo di Tirana . According to Hahn , the settlement had already started to develop as
9864-415: The centre of Albania has long established the city as an integral terminus for the national road transportation , thus connecting the city to all parts of Albania and the neighbouring countries. The Rruga Shtetërore 1 (SH1) connects Tirana with Shkodër and Montenegro in the north, and constitutes an essential section of the proposed Adriatic–Ionian motorway . The Rruga Shtetërore 2 (SH2) continues in
10001-531: The centre of Tirana from the central campus of University of Tirana in the Mother Teresa Square up to the Skanderbeg Square, was declared the place of Cultural Assembly, and given state protection. The historical core of the capital lies around pedestrian only Murat Toptani Street, while the most prominent city district is Blloku . In 2010, the municipality undertook the installing of street name signs and entrance numbers while every apartment entrance
10138-526: The centres of the ancient Mediterranean to its periphery. The Messapic language is often considered either a dialect or sister language of Illyrian. However, the testimonies of Illyrian are too fragmentary to allow any conclusions. An extinct Indo-European language, Messapic was once spoken in Apulia in the southeastern Italian Peninsula by the three Iapygian tribes of the region: the Messapians ,
10275-755: The city is ranked among the wettest cities in Europe . Temperatures vary throughout the year from an average of 6.7 °C (44.1 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July. Springs and summers are very warm to hot often reaching over 20 °C (68 °F) from May to September. During autumn and winter , from November to March, the average temperature drops and is not lower than 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). The city receives approximately 2500 hours of sun. In September 2015, Tirana organized its first vehicle-free day, joining forces with numerous cities across
10412-463: The city's population from 1920 onward and for some years thereafter. On 8 February 1920, the Congress of Lushnjë proclaimed Tirana as the temporary capital of Albania, which had gained independence in 1912. The city acquired that status permanently on 31 December 1925. In 1923, the first regulatory city plan was compiled by Austrian architects. The centre of Tirana was the project of Florestano Di Fausto and Armando Brasini , well-known architects of
10549-618: The commendable monetary policy . All of the most important financial institutions, such as the Bank of Albania and the Albanian Stock Exchange are centred in Tirana as well as most of the banking companies such as the Banka Kombëtare Tregtare , Raiffeisen Bank , Credins Bank , Intesa Sanpaolo Bank and Tirana Bank . The telecommunication industry represents another major and growing contributor to
10686-544: The construction of new buildings and expanding road infrastructure. Untreated solid waste is present in the city and outskirts. Additionally, there have been complaints of excessive noise pollution. Despite the problems, the Grand Park at the Artificial Lake has some effect on absorbing CO 2 emissions, while over 2.000 trees have been planted around sidewalks. Works for four new large parks have started in
10823-517: The construction of two tram lines was under evaluation. The tram lines would have a total length of 16.7 kilometres (10.4 miles). The plan was never implemented. Under the plan, the two tram lines would have intersected in Skanderbeg Square. The public transport in Tirana is, for now, focused only in the city centre, so that the people living in the suburbs have fewer or no public transport connections. Illyrians The Illyrians ( Ancient Greek : Ἰλλυριοί , Illyrioi ; Latin : Illyrii ) were
10960-572: The course of their settlement towards the Adriatic coast merged with such populations of a pre-Illyrian substratum – like Enchelei might have been – leading to the formation of the historical Illyrians who were attested in later times. It has been suggested that the myth of Cadmus and Harmonia may be a reflection in mythology of the end of the pre-Illyrian era in the southern Adriatic region as well as in those regions located north of Macedonia and Epirus. Older Pan-Illyrian theories which emerged in
11097-573: The earliest known peoples of Illyria in the group of the first generation, consisting mostly of southern Illyrian peoples firstly encountered by the Greeks, some of which were the Enchelei , the Taulantii , the Dassaretii and the Parthini . Some peoples that came to the Balkans at a later date such as the Scordisci are listed in the group that belongs to the third generation. The Scordisci were
11234-456: The early Roman Imperial period . Depending on the complexity of the diverse physical geography of the Balkans , arable farming and livestock (mixed farming) rearing had constituted the economic basis of the Illyrians during the Iron Age . In southern Illyria organized realms were formed earlier than in other areas of this region. One of the oldest known Illyrian kingdoms is that of
11371-565: The east, the hills of Kërrabe, Sauk and Vaqarr in the south, and a valley to the north overlooking the Adriatic Sea . The average altitude is about 110 meters (360 ft) above sea level , with a maximum of 1,828 metres (5,997 feet) at Maja Mincekut of Mali me Gropa in Shenmeri. The city is surrounded by two important protected areas : the Dajti National Park and Mali me Gropa-Bizë-Martanesh Protected Landscape . In winter,
11508-402: The end of Albania's long anti-religious atheist stance. She paid respects to her mother and sister resting at a local cemetery. Starting at the campus and ending at Skanderbeg Square with the toppling of Enver Hoxha's statue, the city saw significant demonstrations by University of Tirana students demanding political freedoms in the early 1990s. On the political aspect, the city witnessed
11645-675: The end of the 2nd century and beginning of the 3rd century CE, Illyrian populations had been highly integrated in the Roman Empire and formed a core population of its Balkan provinces. During the crisis of the Third Century and the establishment of the Dominate , a new elite faction of Illyrians who were part of the Roman army along the Pannonian and Danubian Limes rose in Roman politics. This faction produced many emperors from
11782-749: The first era of post-Yamnaya movements (EBA) and carries R-M269. Autosomally, Croatian Bronze Age samples from various sites, from Cetina valley and Bezdanjača Cave were "extremely similar in their ancestral makeup", while from Montenegro's Velika Gruda mainly had an admixture of "Anatolian Neolithic (~50%), Eastern European hunter-gatherer (~12%), and Balkan hunter-gatherer ancestry (~18%)". The oldest Balkan J-L283 samples have been found in final Early Bronze Age (ca. 1950 BCE) site of Mokrin in Serbia and about 100–150 years later in Shkrel, northern Albania. Aneli et al. 2022 based on samples from EIA Dalmatia argue that
11919-614: The geographic "Illyria": the Dauni , the Peuceti and Messapi (collectively known as Iapyges , and speaking the Messapic language ). The term "Illyrians" last appears in the historical record in the 7th century, referring to a Byzantine garrison operating within the former Roman province of Illyricum . What happened to the Illyrians after the settlement of the Slavs in the region
12056-493: The globe to fight against the existing problem of urban air pollution. This initiative resulted in a considerable drop in both air and noise pollution, encouraging the Municipality to organise a vehicle-free day every month. The city suffers from problems related to overpopulation , such as waste management , high levels of air pollution and significant noise pollution . Over the last decades, air pollution has become
12193-400: The governmental buildings in Tirana protesting against political corruption and state capture, particularly associated with the former prime minister Sali Berisha 's government. In September 2014, Pope Francis made an official state visit to Tirana simultaneously becoming the second pontiff to visit Albania, after Pope John Paul II in 1992. Following the municipal elections of 2015, power
12330-536: The ground in order to build the Soviet-styled Palace of Culture. The northern portion of the main boulevard was renamed Stalin Boulevard and his statue was erected in the city square. Because private car ownership was banned, mass transportation consisted mainly of bicycles, trucks and buses. After Hoxha's death, a pyramidal museum was constructed in his memory by the government. Before and after
12467-612: The heart of the city near Skanderbeg Square, and the Hyatt-owned luxury Mak Hotel Tirana located next to the Air Albania Stadium , where Mariott Tirana Hotel is also planned to open. Other major hotels present in central Tirana include the Rogner Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Tirana, Xheko Imperial Hotel, Best Western Premier Ark Hotel, and Mondial Hotel. Tirana is served by Nënë Tereza International Airport , which
12604-475: The hinterland of Epidamnus . When the Romans arrived in Illyria after their victory of the Illyrian Wars , they populated and integrated the area into their empire under the political control of the city of Rome. The oldest surviving discovery from this period is a Roman house dating to the 3rd century, which was transformed into an aisleless church with a mosaic floor. A castle , possibly known as Tirkan ,
12741-522: The historical territory where Illyrians lived (including tested Iapodian and Liburnian sites), almost all belonged to the patrilineal line J2b2a1-L283 (>J-PH1602 > J-Y86930 and >J-Z1297 subclades) with the exception of one R1b-L2 . The mtDNA haplogroups fell under various subclades of H, H1, H3b, H5, J1c2, J1c3, T2a1a, T2b, T2b23, U5a1g, U8b1b1, HV0e. In a three-way admixture model, they approximately had 49-59% EEF, 35-46% Steppe and 2-10% WHG-related ancestry. In Lazaridis et al. (2022) key parts of
12878-536: The hoplites. But the Illyrians, being on higher ground, and charging down on from it upon the Aetolian trrops formed up on the plain, routed them without difficulty. The Medionians joined the action by sallying out of the town and charging the Aetolians, thus, after killing a great number, and taking a still greater number prisoners, and becoming masters also of their arms and baggage, the Illyrians, having carried out
13015-512: The impact of the one language to the other developed because of the scarcity of available archaeological material. However, this did not occur at the same level on both sides, with the Illyrians being more willing to adopt the more prestigious Greek language. Ongoing research may provide further knowledge about these contacts beyond present limited sources. Illyrians were exposed not only to Doric and Epirote Greek but also to Attic-Ionic. The Illyrian languages were once thought to be connected to
13152-618: The increasing shift of the center of imperial politics from the city of Rome itself to the eastern provinces of the empire. The term Illyrians last appears in the historical record in the 7th century AD, in the Miracula Sancti Demetrii , referring to a Byzantine garrison operating within the former Roman province of Illyricum . However, in the acts of the Second Council of Nicaea from 787, Nikephoros of Durrës signed himself as "Episcopus of Durrës, province of
13289-607: The late 3rd to the 6th century CE who are collectively known as the Illyrian Emperors and include the Constantinian , Valentinianic and Justinianic dynasties. Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius , a native of Sirmium , is usually recognized as the first Illyrian emperor in historiography. The rise of the Illyrian Emperors represents the rise of the role of the army in imperial politics and
13426-525: The late 6th and the early 5th century BC in fragments of Hecataeus of Miletus , the author of Genealogies ( Γενεαλογίαι ) and of Description of the Earth or Periegesis ( Περίοδος Γῆς or Περιήγησις ), where the Illyrians are described as a barbarian people. In the Macedonian history during the 6th and 5th century BC, the term Illyrian had a political meaning that was quite definite, denoting
13563-478: The legend of Cadmus and Harmonia —was recorded by Euripides and Strabo in accounts that would be presented in detail in Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus (1st to 2nd century AD). The second version—which reports the legend of Polyphemus and Galatea —was recorded by Appian (1st–2nd century AD) in his Illyrike . According to the first version Illyrius was the son of Cadmus and Harmonia , whom
13700-405: The level ground, and with a portion of their cavalry and their light infantry they hastened to occupy some rising ground in front of their camp, which nature had made easily defensible. A single charge, however, of the Illyrians, whose numbers and close order gave them irresistible weight, served to dislodge the light-armed troops, and forced the cavalry who were on the ground with them to retire to
13837-472: The major problems such as shortages of drinking water and electricity. In June 2007, George W. Bush traveled to Tirana on an official state visit, becoming the first U.S. President to visit the former communist country. In 2008, the Gërdec explosions were felt in the capital as windows were shattered and citizens shaken. In January 2011, the Albanian opposition demonstrations were triggered in front of
13974-459: The ministries of Culture , Defence , Education , Finance , Foreign Affairs , Health , Infrastructure , Internal Affairs , Justice and Tourism are spread over Tirana. The city is also the home to all the consulates and embassies in Albania, thereby making it an important centre for international diplomacy in the country. Tirana is a founding member of the Union of Albanian Municipalities in
14111-670: The more anciently known groups of Illyrian tribes—lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria (modern Albania ), dominating at various times much of the plain between the Drin and the Aous , comprising the area around Epidamnus/Dyrrhachium . In the 7th century BC the Taulantii invoked the aid of Corcyra and Corinth in a war against the Liburni . After the defeat and expulsion from
14248-523: The more confined Albanian territory. The structure of Illyrian society during classical antiquity was characterised by a conglomeration of numerous tribes and small realms ruled by warrior elites, a situation similar to that in most other societies at that time. Thucidides in the History of the Peloponnesian War (5th century BC) addresses the social organisation of the Illyrian tribes via
14385-501: The most correct one. Appian's genealogy of tribes is not complete as he writes that other Illyrian tribes exist, which he has not included. According to Appian 's tradition, Polyphemus and Galatea gave birth to Celtus , Galas , and Illyrius , three brothers, progenitors respectively of Celts, Galatians and Illyrians. Illyrius had multiple sons: Encheleus , Autarieus , Dardanus, Maedus, Taulas and Perrhaebus , and daughters: Partho, Daortho, Dassaro and others. From these, sprang
14522-433: The mountains are often covered with snow and are a popular retreat for the population of Tirana, which rarely receives snowfalls. In terms of biodiversity , the forests are mainly composed of pine , oak and beech , while its interior relief is dotted with canyons , waterfalls, caves, lakes and other landforms. Thanks to its natural heritage, it is considered the "Natural Balcony of Tirana". The mountain can be reached by
14659-655: The municipality is the city of Tirana. Tirana has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) according to the Köppen climate classification and receives enough precipitation during summer to avoid the Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) classification. The average precipitation in Tirana is about 1,266 millimetres (49.8 inches) per year. The city receives the majority of precipitation in winter months, which occurs from November to March, and less in summer months, from June to September. In terms of precipitation, both rain and snow,
14796-523: The ones started by Veliaj's predecessor. In their first few council meetings, 242 social houses got allocated to families in need. Construction permits were suspended until the capital's development plan is revised and synthesized. Between December 2018 and February 2019, a series of demonstrations erupted in the central areas of Tirana and other cities of the country in response to a controversial law on higher education, poor quality of teaching, high tuition rates and corruption. In September 2019, Tirana
14933-502: The order that was usual in their own country, and advanced in their several companies against the Aetolian lines. The latter were overwhelmed with astonishment at the unexpected nature and boldness of the move; but they had long been inspired with overweening self-confidence, and having full reliance on their own forces were far from being dismayed. They drew up the greater part of their hoplites and cavalry in front of their own lines on
15070-460: The orders of Agron, conveyed their baggage and the rest of their booty to their boats and immediately set sail for their own country. He was succeeded by his wife Teuta , who assumed the regency for her stepson Pinnes following Agron's death in 231 BC. In his work The Histories , Polybius (2nd century BC) reported first diplomatic contacts between the Romans and Illyrians. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 BC, 219 BC and 168 BC, Rome overran
15207-401: The proclamation of Albania's policy of self-imposed isolationism , a number of high-profile figures paid visits to the city, such as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev , Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and East German Foreign Minister Oskar Fischer . In 1985, Enver Hoxha's funeral was held in Tirana. A few years later, Mother Teresa became the first religious figure to visit the country after
15344-597: The region of the Liburni, the Corcyreans founded in 627 BC on the Illyrian mainland a colony called Epidamnus , thought to have been the name of a barbarian king of the region. A flourishing commercial centre emerged and the city grew rapidly. The Taulantii continued to play an important role in Illyrian history between the 5th and 4th–3rd centuries BC, and in particular, in the history of Epidamnus, both as its neighbors and as part of its population. Notably they influenced
15481-682: The ring road started in 2011, however, the northern and eastern sections are still in the planning process. Rail lines of Hekurudha Shqiptare (HSH) connected Tirana with all of the major cities of Albania, including Durrës, Shkodër and Vlorë. In 2013, the Tirana Railway Station was closed and moved to Kashar by the city government in order to create space for the New Boulevard ( Albanian : Bulevardi i Ri ) project. The new Tirana Station will be constructed in Laprakë , which
15618-609: The river banks of Lanë to bring the area to its pre-1990 state. In an attempt to widen roads, Rama authorized the bulldozing of private properties so that they could be paved over, thus widening streets. Most main roads underwent reconstruction, including the Unaza, Rruga e Kavajës and the main boulevard. Rama also led the initiative to paint the façades of Tirana's buildings in bright colours, although much of their interiors continued to degrade. Rama's critics claimed that he focused too much attention on cosmetic changes without fixing any of
15755-586: The same time. On 1 April 2009, Albania and Croatia became the first of the group to join NATO. On 5 June 2017, Montenegro joined NATO. On 27 March 2020, North Macedonia joined NATO. Joined 2003 Joined 2008 Since 2008 Since 2012 Since 2023 This article related to a treaty is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tirana Tirana ( / t ɪ ˈ r ɑː n ə / tih- RAH -nə , Albanian pronunciation: [tiˈɾana] ; Gheg Albanian : Tirona )
15892-629: The second part of the 3rd century BC, a number of Illyrian tribes seem to have united to form a confederation stretching from the central part of present-day Albania up to Neretva river in Herzegovina . The political entity was financed on piracy and ruled from 250 BC by the king Agron . The Illyrian attack under Agron, against Aerolians mounted in either 232 or 231 BC, is described by Polybius: One hundred lembi with 5000 men on board sailed up to land at Medion. Dropping anchor at daybreak, they disembarked speedily and in secret. They then formed up in
16029-402: The sector. A rapid development occurred as well as after the end of communism and decades of isolationism mainly due to the new national policy of reform and opening up sped up the industry's development. Vodafone , Telekom Albania and Eagle are the leading telecommunication providers in Tirana, as in all the country. The tourism industry of the city has expanded in recent years to become
16166-545: The social organisation of Illyrian tribes in earlier times than the era he lived in makes a distinction between three modes of social organisation. A part of the Illyrians were organized under hereditary kingdoms, a second part was organized under chieftains who were elected but held no hereditary power and some Illyrians were organised in autonomous communities governed by their own internal tribal laws. In these communities social stratification had not yet emerged. The history of Illyrian warfare and weaponry spanned from around
16303-579: The summer of 2015 located in Kashar, Farkë , Vaqarr, and Dajt . These parks are part of the new urban plan striving to increase the concentration of green spaces in the capital. The government has included designated green areas around Tirana as part of the Tirana Greenbelt where construction is not permitted or limited. The municipality of Tirana is encompassed in the County of Tirana within
16440-426: The term 'Illyrians' began to be used to describe the indigenous population of western Balkans cannot be said with certainty. Scholarly debates have been waged to find an answer to the question whether the term 'Illyrians' ( Ἰλλυριοί ) derived from some eponymous tribe, or whether it has been applied to designate the indigenous population as a general term for some other specific reason. Ancient Roman writers Pliny
16577-532: The territory of historical territory of Illyria were tested. In 18 samples from the Cetina culture, all males except for one (R-L51 > Z2118) carried Y-DNA haplogroup J-L283. Many of them could be further identified as J-L283 > Z597 (> J-Y15058 > J-Z38240 > J-PH1602). The majority of individuals carried mtDNA haplogroups J1c1 and H6a1a. The related Posušje culture yielded the same Y-DNA haplogroup (J-L283 > J-Z38240). The same J-L283 population appears in
16714-458: The territory originally designated as 'Illyrian' was roughly located in the region of the south-eastern Adriatic (modern Albania and Montenegro ) and its hinterland, then was later extended to the whole Roman Illyricum province, which stretched from the eastern Adriatic to the Danube . After the Illyrians had come to be widely known to the Greeks due to their proximity, this ethnic designation
16851-627: The villages led by Haxhi Qamili . In August 1916, the first city map was compiled by the specialists of the Austro-Hungarian army. Following the capture of the town of Debar by Serbia , many of its Albanian inhabitants fled to Turkey , the rest went to Tirana. Of those that ended up in Istanbul , some of their number migrated to Albania, mainly to Tirana where the Dibran community (people from Dibër County ) formed an important segment of
16988-576: The west and provides direct connection to Durrës on the Adriatic Sea. The Rruga Shtetërore 3 (SH3) is being transformed to the Autostrada 3 (A3) and follows the ancient Via Egnatia . It significantly constitutes a major section of the Pan-European Corridor VIII and links the city with Elbasan , Korçë and Greece in the south. Tirana is further connected, through the Milot interchange in the northwest, with Kosovo following as part of
17125-401: The western and central Balkans. After the defeat of the Great Illyrian Revolt and the consolidation of Roman power in the Balkans, the process of integration of Illyrians in the Roman world accelerated even further. Some Illyrian communities were organized in their pre-Roman locations under their own civitates . Others migrated or were forcefully resettled in different regions. Some groups like
17262-501: Was a strong Hellenistic influence on the Illyrian tribe of Daors . Their capital was Daorson located in Ošanići near Stolac in Herzegovina , which became the main center of classical Illyrian culture. Daorson, during the 4th century BC, was surrounded by megalithic , 5 meter high stonewalls, composed out of large trapeze stones blocks. Daors also made unique bronze coins and sculptures. The Illyrians even conquered Greek colonies on
17399-597: Was announced as the European Youth Capital for 2022. The area of Tirana has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times with the earliest recognised reference found at the Cave of Pëllumbas belonging to the Palaeolithic period. Illyrians were the first population of the area and formed most likely the core of the Illyrian kingdom of the Taulantii , which in classical antiquity was centered in
17536-483: Was asked to elaborate on previous plans and introduce a new project in the area of present-day Mother Teresa Square . A failed assassination attempt was made on Victor Emmanuel III of Italy by a local resistance activist during a visit to Tirana. In November 1941, two emissaries of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ), Miladin Popović and Dušan Mugoša, called a meeting of three Albanian communist groups and founded
17673-495: Was broadened to include other peoples who, for some reason, were considered by ancient writers to be related with those peoples originally designated as Illyrians ( Ἰλλυριοί , Illyrioi ). The original designation may have occurred either during the Middle/Late Bronze Age or at the beginning of the 8th century BC. According to the former hypothesis, the name was taken by traders from southern Greece from
17810-790: Was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I between the 4th and 6th century and later restored by Ahmed Pasha Toptani in the 18th century. Tirana is mentioned in Venetian documents in the 1350s as well as in 1418: "...the resident Pjeter, son of late Domenik from the village of Tirana..." . Records of the first land registrations under the Ottomans in 1431–32 show that Tirana consisted of 60 inhabited areas, with nearly 2,028 houses and 7,300 inhabitants. In 1510, Marin Barleti , an Albanian Catholic priest and scholar, in
17947-608: Was centered in the Bay of Kotor and Lake Skadar . According to other modern scholars, the term Illyrii may have originally referred only to a small ethnos in the area between Epidaurum and Lissus , and Pliny and Mela may have followed a literary tradition that dates back as early as Hecataeus of Miletus . Placed in central Albania, the Illyrii proprie dicti also might have been Rome's first contact with Illyrian peoples. In that case, it did not indicate an original area from which
18084-544: Was crowned King Zog I, King of the Albanians. Tirana was the venue for the signing of the Pact of Tirana between Fascist Italy and Albania. During the rule of King Zog, many Muhaxhirs emigrated towards Tirana, which led to a growing population in the capital city in the early 20th century. In 1939, Tirana was captured by Fascist forces, who appointed a puppet government . In the meantime, Italian architect Gherardo Bosio
18221-420: Was first used by outsiders, in particular Ancient Greeks ; this has been argued on the basis that when the Greeks began to frequent the eastern Adriatic coast with the colonization of Corcyra , they started to have some knowledge and perceptions of the indigenous peoples of western Balkans. It has been suggested that the Illyrian tribes evidently never collectively identified themselves as Illyrians and that it
18358-527: Was liberated after a fierce battle between the Communists and German forces . The Nazis eventually withdrew and the communists seized power. From 1944 to 1991, massive socialist-style apartment complexes and factories were built, while Skanderbeg Square was redesigned, with a number of buildings demolished. For instance, Tirana's former Old Bazaar and the Orthodox Cathedral were razed to
18495-523: Was physically stamped. Tirana is the capital city of the Republic of Albania thus playing an essential role in shaping the political and economic life of the country. It is the home to government functions and institutions for which the government of Albania is responsible, as for instance the executive , juridical and legislative branches of Albania. The President and Prime Minister of Albania officially reside and work in Tirana specifically at
18632-490: Was ravaged by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter located near Durrës. Two months after, in November 2019, another strong earthquake with the magnitude of 6.4 hit the region again resulting comparatively few damages in Tirana. The same month, Tirana was announced as the European Youth Capital for 2022 with a planned program including events of cultural and social importance. In December 2022, Tirana hosted
18769-595: Was transferred from the Democratic Party representative Lulzim Basha to the Socialist Party candidate Erion Veliaj . Albania then underwent a territorial reform, in which defunct communes were merged with municipalities. Thirteen of Tirana's former communes were integrated as administrative units joining the existing eleven. Since then, Tirana is undergoing significant changes in infrastructure, law enforcement and new projects, as well as continuing
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