Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv
Reference	569
UNESCO region	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	2005 (29th Session)
Extensions	2008

The Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër, in the cities of Berat and Gjirokastër, Albania, are an UNESCO World Heritage Site that were inscribed in 2005. Its borders were extended in 2008.

File:Gjirokastra Albania 2.jpg

Traditional Gjirokastër houses

The clock tower of the Citadel

Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417. Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period.

Panorama of Berat from the Castle

External links

• Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra, at UNESCO.