Albanian Cultural Heritage

The Monastery of Saint Nicolas in
Mesopotam. This beautiful monument is
located in the village of Mespotam, not far
from the turist city of Saranda. It a very
good accessibility because is on the
national road linking Saranda with
Gjirokastra. It is a Byzantine church which
is reconstructed two time in the years 1793
and 1843. The main characteristic of
the monastery, is its distinctive defense
features. The fortified wall surrounding
the monastery includes rectangular towers.
Being located near the National Park of
Butrint, could attract numerous visitors.
VLORA COUNTY
Muradie Mosque. It is located in the very
heart of the city of Vlora. This is a sultan
style mosque, with a dome that was built
in the second half of the 16th century.
It consists of a prayer hall and a minaret
build of carved stone. This monument is
noted for the harmonious distribution of
its windows. The design and construction
of this mosque were carried out by Mimar
Sinan Aga the Great, an architect of
Albanian origin who was one of the most
important mosque builders in the Ottoman
Empire. It is supposed that he was born
in the village of Gjergaj (today Sinanaj) in
the region of Tepelena, south Albania. He
is consider the greatest architect of the
classical period of Ottoman architecture
and is often compared to Michelangelo.
Muradie Mosque is the only object that has
remained form this master in Albania.
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