| Berat Berati |
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  Berat
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Albania |
| County | Berat County |
| District | Berat District |
| Founded | |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Fadil Nasufi (PS) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Albania is divided into twelve counties ( Albanian: qarku, sing The County of Berat (Qarku i Beratit is one of the 12 counties of Albania. ||-||} Albania is divided into 36 districts, or rrethe. Districts are grouped into counties or prefectures of which there are 12 The District of Berat (Rrethi i Beratit is one of the thirty-six Districts of Albania. The Socialist Party of Albania ( Albanian: Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë) a social democratic Political party in Albania, is currently Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 3 km² (2. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 58 m (190 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 65,000 |
| - Density | 10,317/km² (26,720. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Central European Time (UTC+1) |
| Website: *[1] | |
Berat (also known in Albanian as Berati, Greek Pulcheriòpolis-Πουλχεριοπολις, Antipàtrea-Αντιπατρια, Veràtion-Βερατιον, Bulgarian: Beligrad) is a town located in south-central Albania. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. It has a population of around 45,500 people (2003 est). Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat. The District of Berat (Rrethi i Beratit is one of the thirty-six Districts of Albania. The County of Berat (Qarku i Beratit is one of the 12 counties of Albania.
Berat lies on the right bank of the river Osum, a short distance from the point where it is joined by the Molisht river. It is remarkable Ottoman town, with a wealth of beautiful buildings of the highest architectural and historical interest. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The pine forests above the city, on the slopes of the towering Tomori mountains, provide a backdrop of appropriate grandeur. The Osumi river has cut a 915-metre deep gorge through the limestone rock on the west side of the valley to form a precipitous natural fortress, around which the town was built on several river terraces.
According to legend, the Tomorr mountain was originally a giant, who fought with another giant, called Shpirag over a young woman. They killed each other and the girl drowned in her tears, which then became the Osum river.
Mount Shpirag, named after the second giant, is on the left bank of the gorge, above the district of Gorica. Berati is known to Albanians as 'The City of a Thousand Windows' a similar epithet to that sometimes applied to Gjirokastra, The City of Two Thousand Steps, and has a mixture of Orthodox, Muslim, Greeks and Vlach inhabitants. Gjirokastër or Gjirokastra ( Albanian ɟɪɾokaˈstəɾ Ljurocastru Αργυρόκαστρο Argyrókastro) is a City It was proclaimed a 'Museum City' by the dictator Enver Hoxha in June 1961. (ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa 16 October 1908 11 April 1985 was the leader of the People's Republic of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985 as the Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Contents |
History
The town is thought to be one of the oldest in Albania, with a settlement having existed there since at least the 6th century BC, when it was a fortress-settlement of the Greek Dassaretae[1] tribe on the old border between Illyria and Epirus. The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Dassaretae (Δασσαρέται or Dexaroi, (Greek Δεξάροι were an ancient Greek tribe of Epirus on the border with Illyria. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian The founder of the town may have been the Greek King of Macedon, Cassander, who named it after his father Antipater at 314 BC. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Antipater ( Greek: Ἀντίπατρος Antipatros; ca 397 BC — 319 BC was a Macedonian general and a supporter of kings Philip II of Macedon Known as Antipatrea, it was captured by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. Antipatrea was an ancient Greek town in the region of Epirus. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. The town became part of the unstable frontier of the Byzantine Empire following the fall of the Roman Empire and, along with much of the rest of the Balkan peninsula, it suffered from repeated invasions by Slavs and other "barbarian" tribes. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial During the Byzantine period, it was known as Pulcheriopolis.
The Bulgarians under Simeon I captured the town in the 9th century and renamed it "Beligrad" (White City) from which the current name (Berat) derives from. The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language Simeon (also Symeon) I the Great (Симеон I Велики transliterated Simeon I Veliki; simɛˈɔn ˈpɤrvi vɛˈliki ruled over Bulgaria The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. They were eventually driven out in the 11th century. During the 13th century, it fell to Michael I Ducas, the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus. Michael I Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas ( Greek: Μιχαήλ Α΄ Κομνηνός Δούκας Mikhaēl I Komnēnos Doukas) often inaccurately called The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της
Latter in the 13th century Berat again fell under the control of the Byzantine Empire. In 1280-1281 the Sicilian forces under Hugh the Red of Sully laid siege to Berat. Hugh the Red of Sully was a General under the Sicilian King Charles of Anjou. In March 1281 a relief force from Constantinople under the command of Michael Tarchaneiotes was able to drive off the besiging Sicilian army. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS [2] It passed to the Serbs in 1345. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia,
The Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1450 and retained it until 1912. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting However, it did not retain direct control for the whole of this period – in 1809, the tyrannical Ali Pasha, who was himself of Albanian origins, seized the town and refortified it. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Ali Pasha of Tepelen or of Yannina, the "Lion of Yannina" (1741 &ndash January 24, 1822) was the ruler ( Pasha) of the western In 1867, Berat became a sanjak in Janina (Yanya) vilayet. Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Sanjak and Sandjak (other variants sinjaq sanjaq) are the most common English transcriptions of the Turkish word sancak Ioannina (Ιωάννινα, often el Γιάννενα or el Γιάννινα / is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of
During the period of Ottoman rule, Berat fell into severe decline. By the end of the 16th century it had only 710 houses. It began to recover in the 17th century and became a major craft centre specialising in wood carving. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar During the 19th century, Berat played an important part in the Albanian national revival. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar It became a major base of support for the League of Prizren, the late 19th century Albanian nationalist alliance. The League of Prizren (Lidhja e Prizrenit was an Albanian political organization founded on June 10, 1878 in Prizren, Vilayet of Kosovo In November 1944, the communist-controlled Anti-Fascist National Liberation Council of Albania declared in Berat that it was the provisional government of the country, signalling the beginning of the long dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa 16 October 1908 11 April 1985 was the leader of the People's Republic of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985 as the
Attractions
The Fortress, is built on a rocky hill on the left bank of the river Osum and is accessible only from the south. After being burned down by the Romans in 200 B. C. the walls were strengthened in the fifth century under Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II, and were rebuilt during the 6th century under the Emperor Justinian and again in the 13th century under the Despot of Epirus, Michael Angelus Comnenus, cousin of the Byzantine Emperor. The main entrance, on the north side, is defended by a fortified courtyard and there are three smaller entrances. The fortress of Berat in its present state, even though considerably damaged, remains a magnificent sight. The surface that it encompasses made it possible to house a considerable portion of the cities inhabitants. The buildings inside the fortress were built during the 13th century and because of their characteristic architecture are preserved as cultural monuments. The population of the fortress was Christian, and it had about 20 churches (most built during the 13th century) and only one mosque, for the use of the Turkish garrison, (of which there survives only a few ruins and the base of the minaret). The churches of the fortress were damaged through years and only some have remained.
The Church of St. Mary of Vllaherna dating from the 13th century, has 16th century mural paintings by Nikolla, son of the Albania's most famous medieval painter, Onufri. In a small tree - planted square, on a hillside inside the walls of the fortress, stands the fourteenth century Church of the Holy Trinity. It is built in the form of a Greek cross and has Byzantine murals. Outside the ramparts is the Church of St. Michael (Shen Mehill), Built in the thirteenth century. This church is reached by a steep but perfectly safe path. Near the entrance, after a guardhouse, is the little Church of St. Theodore (Shen Todher), which have wall paintings by Onufri himself. The most interesting is the cathedral of St. Nicholas, which has been well restored and is now a museum dedicated to Onufri. Onufri was the greatest of the 16th century painters in Albania. Not only was he a master of the techniques of fresco and icons, but he was the first to introduce a new colour in painting, pink, which the French called "Onufri's Red". In addition, Onufri introduced a certain realism and a degree of individuality in facial expression.
The first inscription recording Onufri's name was found in 1951, in the Shelqan church. The Kastoria church has a date 23 July 1547 and a reference to Onufri's origin : Une jam Onufri, dhe vij nga qyteti i shkelqyer i Beratit (I am Onufri, and come from the town of Berat). Onufri's style in painting was inherited by his son, Nikolla (Nicholas), though not so successful as his father. In Onufri's museum are to be found works of Onufri, his son, Nikolla and other painters'. There are also numbers of icons and some fine examples of religious silversmith's work (sacred vessels, icon casings, covers of Gospel books, etc). Berat Gospels, which date from the forth century, are copies (the originals are preserved in the National Archives in Tirana). The church itself has a magnificent iconostasis of carved wood, with two very fine icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The bishop's throne and the pulpit are also of considerable quality. Near the street running down from the fortress is the Bachelors' Mosque (Xhami e Beqareve), built in 1827. This has a handsome portico and an interesting external decoration of flowers, plants, houses, etc. The 'Bachelors' were the young shop-assistants (in practice generally unmarried), whom the merchants in Berat used as their own private militia. The Sultan's Mosque (Xhamia e Mbretit), the oldest in the town built in the reign of Bayazid II (1481 - 1512), is notable for its fine ceiling.
The Leaden Mosque (Xhamia e Plumbit), built in 1555 and so called from the covering of its cupola. This mosque is the centre of the town. The Tekke of the Helveti (Teqe e Helvetive), of 1790, with a handsome porch and a carved and gilded ceiling. Near of tekke was the grave of Shabbatai Zevi, a Turkish Jew living in Berat who in the 1660 declared himself to be the Messiah and began a movement that led to hundreds of thousands of impoverished European Jews trying to follow him in an attempted emigration to the Holy Land. Sabbatai Zevi, ( (other spellings include Sabetay in Turkish, Shabbethai, Sabbetai, Shabbsai; Zvi; Sabbetai The Ottoman authorities put him on trial for disrupting the Imperial Peace and imprisoned for a time in Costantinopole. He was forced to convert to Islam and exiled back to Albania . After his death his tomb was taken over as a Bektashi shrine and remained that until 1967
Sights in Berat
.jpg/180px-Byzantinische_Kirche_(Berat).jpg)
The town is still renowned for its historic architecture and scenic beauty and is known as the "Town of a Thousand Windows", due to the many large windows of the old decorated houses overlooking the town. Bektashism (Bektaşilik is an Islamic Sufi order ( Tariqat) considered to be a distinct branch of Shi'a Islam It is unclear whether it really means "Thousand" (një mijë) or "One over Another" (një mbi një) windows. Indeed, the quarter is built in a very steep place and windows seem to be one over another. Same views can be admired also in Gjrokastër (Albania) and Catanzaro (Italy) where once an Albanian minority lived. The Citadel overlooks the river and the modern city as well as the old Christian quarter across the river. It is a well preserved area containing narrow streets, Turkish houses and Orthodox churches.
Modern Berat consists of three parts divided by the Ossum River: Goritsa ("little mountain" in Old Slavonic, Mangalem and Kalaja, the latter being a residential quarter within the old Byzantine citadel that overlooks the town. The town also has a 15th century mosque and a number of churches of the Albanian Orthodox Church, whose autocephaly was proclaimed there in 1922. The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania ( Albanian: Kisha Orthodhokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë) is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Several of the churches house works by the renowned 16th century painter Onufri. Onufri was a 16th century Albanian painter Best known for his Christian Icons, he also painted portraits landscapes and churches
Trivia
- The football (soccer) club is KS Tomori Berat. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Klubi Sportiv Tomori Berat is a Football (soccer club playing in the city of Berat.
See also
- List of Cities, towns and villages in Albania
- Tourism in Albania
References
- ^ Smith, William (2006). Tourism in Albania is still in its infancy because the former Communist regime did not allow Tourism to become established A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography. Whitefish, MT, USA: Kessinger Publishing, LLC, page 423.
- ^ Norwich, John Julius. The Decline and Fall of the Byzantine Empire. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) p. 246-247
External links
Template:Cities, towns and villages in Albania
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