Self-guided Sightseeing Tour #2 in Tirana, Albania

The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autocephaly in 1922 through its Congress of 1922, and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937.

Wikipedia: Albanian Orthodox Church (EN)

The Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic church in Tirana, Albania. Built in 1939 during the Italian invasion of Albania, it is the oldest Catholic church in the city.

Wikipedia: Sacred_Heart_Church_(Tirana) (EN)

The Museum of Secret Surveillance, also known as House of Leaves is a historical museum in Tirana, Albania. It opened on 23 May 2017 in the building that served as the Sigurimi's headquarters during the communist era.

Wikipedia: Museum of Secret Surveillance (EN), Website

The National Puppet Theatre in Tirana was created in 1950 by a professional troupe and performed 500 performances every year, all over the country. Performances of the National Children's Theatre are used with wire puppets, puppeteers, masks, shadow theatres and pantomime, as well as performances with actors.

Wikipedia: Teatri_Kombëtar_i_Fëmijëve (SQ), Website

The Skanderbeg Monument is a monument in the Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. It commemorates Skanderbeg (1405–1468), the national hero in Albania for resisting the Ottomans.

Wikipedia: Skanderbeg Monument (EN)

The National Theatre of Albania was the main theatre in Tirana, Albania. In March 2020, the National Theatre of Albania was selected by Europa Nostra among the 7 most endangered monuments in Europe, as an exceptional example of modern Italian architecture from the 1930s and one of the most prominent cultural centers in Albania, facing impending threat of demolition. On 17 May 2020, the National Theatre building was demolished.

Wikipedia: National Theatre (Albania) (EN), Website

The Et'hem Bey Mosque is a mosque in Tirana, Albania. Closed under communist rule, the mosque reopened as a house of worship in 1991. Without permission from the authorities, 10,000 people attended and the police did not interfere. Frescoes outside and inside the portico depict trees, waterfalls and bridges.

Wikipedia: Et'hem Bey Mosque (EN)

The Clock Tower of Tirana, was built in 1822 in Tirana, Albania by Et'hem bey Mollaj, a Bejtexhinj poet who also finished the Et'hem Bey Mosque next to the clock tower. Watchmaster Ismail Tufina was the first to assemble the Tirana clock mechanism in 1822. It is a monument of culture of first category, approved on 24 May 1948.

Wikipedia: Tirana Clock Tower (EN)

Bunk'Art 2, located near the Ministry of Interior in Tirana, Albania, is a museum dedicated to the Cold War period in Albania.

Wikipedia: Bunk'Art_2 (FR), Website

Rinia Park is the central public park of Tirana, Albania. Built in 1950 during the communist era, it covers an area of 2.98 hectares.

Wikipedia: Rinia Park (EN)

The Pyramid of Tirana is a structure and former museum located in Tirana, the capital of Albania. It opened as a museum in 1988 and became a conference center in 1991 following the collapse of Communism. During the 1999 Kosovo War, the building was used as a NATO base. In 2018, a new project was unveiled that would turn the pyramid into a youth IT center for Creative Technologies with a focus on computer programming, robotics, and start ups under the name of TUMO Center Tirana. The renovated structure, transformed by MVRDV, was opened to the public in May 2023.

Wikipedia: Pyramid of Tirana (EN), Website

Fortress of Justinian or simply known as Tirana Castle is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east–west and north–south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana. The current fortification has three known towers and it is undergoing a process of restoration, for touristic purposes. Inside the fortified walls of the former fortress, there are many buildings that can be visited, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions.

Wikipedia: Fortress of Justinian (EN)

The Former Toptanasve apartment is a monument of cultural heritage in the district of Tirana, in the district of Tirana, Albania. This monument is approved by number 6 on 15.01.1963".

Wikipedia: Banesa e Ish Toptanasve (SQ)

The Kapllan Pasha Tomb is a Muslim Türbe of Albania, located in the center of Tirana. It is a Cultural Monument of the first category and was so declared by the government of Albania in 1948. It was built in the early 19th century, with carved stones and has an octagonal shape. The columns are made of stone, and placed also on stone bases and capitals with plant decor on the surface. The former ruler of Tirana was interned here in the 19th century, but was later repatriated back to Istanbul, Turkey.

Wikipedia: Kapllan Pasha Tomb (EN)

The Unknown Soldier is a war memorial statue in Tirana for the soldiers that fell in the struggle against the Italian invaders during Second World War. The statue is located near the Albanian parliament and the Tomb of Kapllan Pasha. It was placed by the Albanian communists: For its construction, the 350-year old Sulejman Pasha Mosque built by the founder of the capital Sulejman Bargjini was destroyed. The sculpture features a soldier with a raised fist and rifle, struggling forward.

Wikipedia: Unknown Soldier (statue) (EN)

The bust of Avni Rustem in Tirana is located in the square of the same name near the new Bazaar (Tirana).

Wikipedia: Busti i Avni Rustemit në Tiranë (SQ)

The Mosque of Mahmud Agha Kokonozi or New Bazaar Mosque is a mosque in Tirana, Albania. It is an Ottoman-era mosque built in 1750 and one of the few mosques that survived the communist dictatorship under the Hoxhaist regime.

Wikipedia: Kokonozi Mosque (EN)