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The Castle of Gjirokaster, Albania

23/11/2020

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The Castle of Gjirokaster resides in a dramatic location, on a hilltop overlooking the city. Nearly two thousand years old, it witnessed the changing seasons of the Albanian history across the centuries.

The name “Argjiro” is dedicated to the legend of the princess who fell from the Castle to her death in order to escape the Ottoman enemies.

At the entrance of the Gjirokaster Castle, you find a large array of cannonballs, and weapons, collected from antiquity up to the First and Second World Wars, all used as resistance to occupation.

One of the most interesting modern curiosities exhibited is the American two-seater aircraft. It was forced to land near Tirana in 1957, as it was considered to be a spy plane. At the time of the Cold War, this event marked a triumph over the West and thus, the aircraft merited a place in the castle exhibitions.

Nowadays, every four years, the National Folklore Festival of traditional Albanian song and dance takes place on top of the Castle’s roof.

Source: https://www.intoalbania.com/
Photos: https://whc.unesco.org/
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Melnik - the smallest town in Bulgaria

16/11/2020

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The smallest town in Bulgaria, Melnik, is in Southwestern Bulgaria, nested in the slopes of the beautiful Pirin mountain. Its name comes from the Slavonic word “mel”, which means white clay and reflects the specific soils around the city.

During the 18th century, in the age of the Bulgarian Revival, the Melnik turned into a blooming town, with a large market and thriving population. The local tradesmen were selling their goods in Budapest, Wien, Genoa, Venice. Melnik became famous in Europe for its unique wine, which is symbolic for the town even nowadays.

Melnik is home to some of the most vivid architectural monuments preserved to this day in Bulgaria. One of the oldest houses on the Balkan Peninsula is the Boyar’s House, which was a residence of Despot Alexius Slav. Two other houses which are architectural monuments of the Revival period are the Kordopulova House and the Pashova House. The Pashova House was built in 1815 and currently it is being restored.

The Kordopulova House is the largest building from that period in the country. It was built in 1754 and it was owned by the rich family Kordopulovi, who were involved in wine production. The cellars excavated under the house, with their constant temperature and ventilation, were used for preparing and growing the renowned Melnik wine.

Melnik is declared a Natural and Architectural Reserve, and it attracts thousands of tourists every year. The high-quality wine produced in Melnik has scents of ripe cherry, herbs, and in the presence of an oak it develops nuances of tobacco and leather. It is one of the attractions of the town, and it attracts many admirers from the whole world.

​Source: www.bulgariatravel.org

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The Palace of Galerius - Gamzigrad, Serbia

9/11/2020

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Gamzigrad-Romuliana, the imperial Palace of Galerius, is one of the most important Late Roman sites. It is located in in Gamzigrad, Serbia. Construction works started in 289 by the tetrarch Galerius to mark the place of his birth after a victory over the Persians. It was given the name Felix Romuliana in memory of his mother Queen Romula, a priestess of a pagan cult.

Like Diocletian's Palace in Split, the palace in Gamzigrad was designed to be a representative Imperial residence, housing the abdicated Emperor while retained the imperial symbols.

Archaeological excavations in the fortress revealed remains of a palace with exceptionally fine mosaics, baths and impressive gates. Among the important finds from the site are portraits of rulers made from the
Egyptian purple stone called porphyry and coins that help to date the complex.

Felix Romuliana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the reasons why it is a protected site is the fact that the complex is preserved in its integrity and authenticity up to now unlike many other buildings.  

​Sources:
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/
https://whc.unesco.org/
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The Imperial Mosque in Pristina, Kosovo

2/11/2020

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The Great Mosque in Pristina, Kosovo is an Ottoman mosque built in 1461 by Sultan Mehmet II Fatih. It was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990.
 
The Mosque of Sultan Mehmet Fatih II is located in the old city of Pristina, near the Great Hammam (15th century), the Clock Tower (19th century), and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo (19th century). The locals also call it "the Imperial Mosque".
 
Due to its structure and decorative elements it ranks among the most important buildings of Islamic architecture in Eastern Europe. It was built with carved yellow sandstones. The inside walls are lined with bricks joined and plastered with lime mortar. The building consists of a rectangular shaped space, a cupola, a minaret, and a representative porch. The dome of the Great Mosque is one of the largest domes of the 15th-century buildings in Eastern Europe.
Remarkable part of the interior is the wooden pew decorated with geometric ornaments. The inside walls are painted in various colours with plant motifs of the technique al Seko. In architectural, spatial, structural and decorative terms, the building retains all the features of its construction time.
 
It is a unique and dominating building on the landscape of Pristina. During the years, the Great Mosque has been restored several times, among which is worth mentioning the restoration of the years 1682-1683 (during the reign of Sulltan Mehmet IV), as well as the reparation interventions after the earthquake in 1955. 
 
Sources:
https://dtk.rks-gov.net/
https://en.wikipedia.org/

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