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| E L B A S A N I |
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| COURTESY OF ILIRIAPRESS |
| Falemnderit p�r vizit�n, dhe mir�sevini gjithmon�. |
| Thank you for visiting, and welcome again |
| Elbasan is located in central Albania, particularly, 54km south-east of Tirana. The Shkumbim river passes through the city dividing Albanians in the spoken Tosk dialect south of the river and spoken Geg dialect north of the river. A city being in almost in the middle of the country played a very important role for the transportation. There is a railroad connecting the east with the west, and the north with the south. The city is the habitat of 100 000 Albanians. Many of them are employed in factories, farms, and other. The farmers cultivate tobacco, olives, fruit, grapes, cotton, grains, and vegetables while the factories produce olive oil, wine, cigarettes, leather, textiles, flour, and handicrafts. |
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| The ancient city of Skampa founded in the 1st century A.D. became Elbasan. It was developed during the construction of the Egnatia route which was the main artery in the land communications and trade and commercial interchanges between the Apennine Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula. The surrounding walls of the ancient civilization were built in the 4th century, having 3 entrances and 26 towers surround this city showing the defense mechanisms of the ancient people. |
| During the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (483-565), Skampa had become the seat of a Bishopric with a Cathedral and a Basilica outside its surrounding walls. The name �Elbasan � comes from an Albanian word or name �Elb�meaning wheat, and �Rasad� or the cultivation. The Turkish called Elbasan and equal name for Turkish fortress. The present city of Elbasan was built by the Ottoman Turks in 1466 on the site of ancient Scampa. In 1466 Sultan Mehmmed II rebuilt the walls and renamed the town El Basan ('The Fortress') in Turkish. |
| The Albanians architects in 17th century built a Turkish Baths located in the center of town on the opposite side of the park from the Ethnographical Museum. In addition the Albanians architects especially from the region of Gjirokastra have built a market place called �Pazar� near the clock tower. In every city in the mediaeval Albania, the clock towers were built. Some of the clock towers survived the Ottoman Turkey, and some were destroyed. Near the road in the15th century near to St Mary's Orthodox Church was built King's Mosque with the beautiful stone arcades on its walls a special designs of Albanian architects of that time. |
| In addition to all of the architecture, today, the15th-century fortress in Elbasan contains a museum of antiquities. In 1974 the Albanian communists in cooperation with the Chinese government built a steel mill and they have called � The Steel of the Party�. It also has a cement factory that pollutes the air of Elbasan. Elbasan was, is , and it will be among the beauties of Albania. |
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| News Albania Kosova Ilirida Epirus Valley of Morava Plava and Gucija Terror Human Rights Violation History Music Literature |
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| News Albania Kosova Ilirida Epirus Valley of Morava Plava and Gucija Terror Human Rights Violation History Music Literature |
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