TIRANA, January 28 Albanian beloved writer Ismail Kadare celebrates his 85th birthday today. Widely regarded as the most important contemporary Albanian author, Kadare was born in 1939 in the southern city of Gjirokastra, the stone city that’s always there even when not mentioned in many of his works written in different times and places. Gjirokastra...
“Why waste our gold in imported goods when domestic products provide the highest quality that the customer might wish?” This was the ‘buy local’ marketing strategy of Albanian industrialists in pre-war Albania. And yes, Albanian merchants from Korca, Gjirokastra, Delvina, and other cities would trade with gold until World War II. Ads from the 20s...
TIRANA, January 14 The history of Durres is long and varied. For thousands of years, it saw many rulers and visitors from all over Europe and beyond. In turbulent times the city attracted warships and big armies and in times of peace and clear blue skies, it attracted lovers of repose, culture, and the sea....
TIRANA, January 12 International literally magazine World Literature Today dedicated the cover feature of its first issue of Winter 2021 to the work and life of Albanian writer Ismail Kadare. Five essays, one by the writer himself, introduce the first-time reader not only to Kadare’s style but also to an alternative literary version of Albania’s...
TIRANA, January 8 What’s in a name? Shakespeare would ask. Quite a lot, from meaning, identity, culture, and spiritual belonging to aesthetically pleasing sounds, the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) would answer. The most popular baby names for Albania in general and each city, in particular, are available in a collection that includes a little...
TIRANA, January 5 If it could be judged by the cars that you see on the road, Albania wouldn’t look like one of the poorest countries in Europe. Albanians love cars and drive a lot despite their short commutes and small cities. With most of the people moving from remote parts of the country to...
TIRANA, December 1 111 years ago 140 students from all the Albanian lands began classes at the Normal School of Elbasan with Luigj Gurakuqi as the first director. It was the first national high school in the Albanian language and a cradle of education for teachers of the Albanian language from every Albanian-speaking land. The...
TIRANA, November 27 If there would be a list of the best places to celebrate the 108th Anniversary of Independence Day and the 76th anniversary of Liberation Day, the most logical answer would be at home. Yet with a long weekend ahead, many might be planning at least one day doing something different. How...
TIRANA, November 26 Do you remember that meme of birds sitting on a power line looking at another bird suspended in the air and chirping: “He has Wi-Fi”? Yet, a hilarious pun would be “He’s a digital nomad”. Digital nomads are like migratory birds traveling long distances all over the world looking for a temporary...
TIRANA, November 25 One gets the feeling of heavy longing and heroic spirits when listening to Lab Iso-Polyphony, Eqrem Cabej would say. Such description points to another Albanian practice, according to which when great men died people would not wail. They would sing songs of lament instead. There is a thin line between laments and...
