Albanian Cultural Heritage

Kapllan Pasha’s Turbe (Tomb) is located
on “28 Nëntori” Street in Tirana. It is part of
a monumental cemetery complex of the
first Tirana Mosque, which was destroyed
during the Second World War. The complex
included six other monumental graves of
the same type, but with varying dimensions.
The only tomb remaining today is
that of Kapllan Pasha, a former ruler of
Tirana. The tomb is a monumental grave
with an octagonal structure and 4 m high.
The Kapllan Pasha’s remains were later
exhumed and reburied in Istanbul.
The Bashtova Castle is situated close to the
Bashtova village, about 3-4 km to the north
of the Shkumbini River estuary. The castle
was built in the 15th century and was used
by the Venetians. In the past the Bashtova
region was known as a river harbour on
the Shkumbini River and as a centre for the
export of grains. The castle has a rectangular
shape, 60 x 90 meters. The western part
of the castle was rebuilt in the 18th century.
Its walls are 9 meters high.
TIRANA COUNTY
The Preza Castle overlooks the village
with the same name and is located on a
hilltop. It is a small castle the construction
of which started in the 14th century and
was completed in the early 15th century
and belonged to the Topias, a local feudal
family. The castle has been declared a
‘monument of culture’. It has four towers,
one in each corner. The clock tower was
erected around 1800-1850. It is known
for its beautiful location, overlooking the
Tirana plain. The castle is quite close to
the Mother Theresa International Airport.
A restaurant and other service facilities are
found inside the castle.
The Bashtova Castle
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