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Berat
Berat old town and river Osum
Berat old town and river Osum
Country Albania
CountyBerat County
DistrictBerat District
Founded6th Century BC
Government
 • MayorFadil Nasufi (PS)
Area
 • Total6.3 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
Elevation
58 m (190 ft)
Population
 (2009)[1]
 • Total70,830
 • Density10,317/km2 (26,720/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
5001-5006
Area code032
Car PlatesBR
Websitehttp://www.bashkia-berat.net
Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra (well-preserved southern Albanian towns bearing outstanding testimony to the Ottoman period in the Balkans)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Citadel of Berat
CriteriaCultural: iii, iv
Reference569
Inscription2005 (29th Session)
Extensions2008
Antipatrea in the antiquity

Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000[1] people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat. The old town was inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2008.

Name

The current name of the town in Albanian is Berat or Berati, which is derived via the Ottoman Turkish from the older Bel(i)grad (meaning "white city" in Slavic, cf. Belgrade), under which name it was known in Greek, Latin and Slavic documents during the High and Late Middle Ages. That name was rendered as Bellegrada (Βελλέγραδα) in Greek. During Antiquity the town's territory is believed to have been the site of a Greek polis, Antipatreia (Greek: Ἀντιπάτρεια, "city of Antipater"), while during the early Byzantine Empire the name of the town was Pulcheriopolis (Πουλχεριόπολις, "city of Pulcheria").

Geography

Berat, Albania with Mount Tomor in the background

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 a remarkable Albanian town, with a wealth of beautiful buildings of high architectural and historical interest. The pine forests above the city, on the slopes of the towering Tomorr 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 an Albanian 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, or The City of Two Thousand Steps. It was proclaimed a 'Museum City' by the dictator Enver Hoxha in June 1961.

History

The entrance of the citadel of Berat, with the 13th-century Byzantine church of the Holy Trinity
The river Osum, flowing through Berat, with the hill of the citadel on the left

Antipatrea (Greek: Αντιπάτρεια) was an ancient Greek polis in the region of Epirus, now Berat. It was founded by Cassander as Antipatreia, who named it after his father Antipater at 314 BC[2]. A fortress-settlement of the Greek[3] Dassaretae tribe existed in the area[4] as the early as the 6th century BC. It was captured by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. Livy (31.27.2) describes Antipatrea as a strongly fortified city in a narrow pass that the Romans sacked and burned. The city was composed of two fortifications on both sides of the river Osum.

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. 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).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.

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. In March 1281 a relief force from Constantinople under the command of Michael Tarchaneiotes was able to drive off the besieging Sicilian army.[5] In 1335-1337, Albanian tribes descended and for the first time reached the area of Berat[6][7] while in 1345 the town passed to the Serbs.

The Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1450 after the siege of Berat and retained it until 1912. 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. In 1867, Berat became a sanjak in Janina (Yanya) vilayet. During Ottoman rule, she was known Arnavut Belgradı in Turkish) at first, after Berat.

During the early period of Ottoman rule, Berat fell into severe decline. By the end of the 16th century it had only 710 houses. However it began to recover by the 17th century and became a major craft centre in the Ottoman Balkans specializing in wood carving. During the 19th century, Berat played an important part in the Albanian national revival. It became a major base of support for the League of Prizren, the late 19th century Albanian nationalist alliance. 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, signaling the beginning of the long dictatorship of Enver Hoxha.

Attractions

Berat Castle 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 BC the walls were strengthened in the 5th 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 Blaherna 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 14th century Church of the Holy Trinity. It is built in the form of a cross and has Byzantine murals. Outside the ramparts is the Church of St. Michael (Shen Mehill), built in the 13th 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, shiny red, 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 : 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 can 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 4th 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 is purported to be the grave of Shabbatai Zevi, a Turkish Jew who had been banished to Dulcigno (present day Ulcinj) who created controversy among his followers upon his conversion to Islam.

The Helveti Teke is thought to have been built in the 15th century. It was rebuilt by Ahmet Kurt Pasha in 1782. It belongs to the Helveti Sect. It is composed of the prayer hall with a square plan, a small ambience for special religious services and a gracious portico in front of the entrance to the prayer hall. In the prayer hall is a mafil carved in wood and decorated. On the eastern side of the prayer hall is the mihrab decorated with stone stalactites. The inner walls have been decorated with eight frescoes, depicting dwelling houses, Muslim religious buildings and landscapes. The walls below the frescoes are covered by holes that improve the acoustics in the prayer hall. The ceiling of the prayer hall is made of wood and is decorated with paintings valued as the most beautiful of the time. The ceiling has been decorated in the Baroque style adopted in Islamic art and is covered with 14 carat gold plates. The inner decorations were carried out by Master Dush Barka. Attached to the prayer hall is a room in which once was the mausoleum of Ahmet Kurt Pasha and his son. The portico of the teke has five has five stone columns which were taken from the ancient Greek city of Apollonia. Above the main door in the portico is an inscription dedicated to the values of the teke and to Ahmet Kurt Pasha.

Climate

Berat experiences a Mediterranean climate. Due to its location in a rain shadow of Mount Tomorr the summer in Berat is much warmer than the rest of Mediterranean. Berat is the hottest city in Albania[citation needed].

Climate data for Berat (1991 - 2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 25
(77) 		27
(81) 		29
(84) 		31
(88) 		38
(100) 		44
(111) 		46
(115) 		47
(117) 		42
(108) 		35
(95) 		30
(86) 		28
(82) 		47
(117)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9) 		15.3
(59.5) 		17.1
(62.8) 		20.2
(68.4) 		25.3
(77.5) 		30.4
(86.7) 		33.4
(92.1) 		33.6
(92.5) 		29.2
(84.6) 		23.1
(73.6) 		18.3
(64.9) 		15.8
(60.4) 		23.0
(73.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6) 		2.1
(35.8) 		4.2
(39.6) 		7.4
(45.3) 		12.5
(54.5) 		17.7
(63.9) 		20.3
(68.5) 		20.0
(68.0) 		16.0
(60.8) 		8.5
(47.3) 		6.3
(43.3) 		3.1
(37.6) 		10.0
(50.0)
Record low °C (°F) −10
(14) 		−9
(16) 		−4
(25) 		−1
(30) 		3
(37) 		8
(46) 		14
(57) 		12
(54) 		6
(43) 		0
(32) 		−3
(27) 		−8
(18) 		−10
(14)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 145
(5.7) 		152
(6.0) 		108
(4.3) 		97
(3.8) 		76
(3.0) 		31
(1.2) 		4
(0.2) 		9
(0.4) 		50
(2.0) 		95
(3.7) 		199
(7.8) 		203
(8.0) 		1,169
(46.1)
Source: METEOALB Weather Station

Sights in Berat

Byzantine Church
Orthodox Cathedral of Berat

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.

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. Similar views can be seen in Gjirokastër, as well as Catanzaro in Italy, where an Albanian minority once 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 Osum River: Gorica ("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. Several of the churches house works by the renowned 16th century painter Onufri.

Notable people

Trivia

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Instat of Albania (2009). "Population by towns" (in Albanian). Institute of Statistics of Albania. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  2. ^ Epirus: the geography, the ancient remains, the history and topography of ... by Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond,"founded Antipatreia in Illyria at c. 314 BC"
  3. ^ The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 6: The Fourth Century BC by D. M. Lewis (Editor), John Boardman (Editor), Simon Hornblower (Editor), M. Ostwald (Editor), 1994, ISBN 0521233488, page 423, "These Dassareti not to be confused with the Greek speaking Dexari or Dessaretae of the ,"
  4. ^ The Illyrians by John Wilkes,page 98,"the Dassaretae possessed several towns...Chrysondym, Gertous or Gerous..."
  5. ^ Norwich, John Julius. The Decline and Fall of the Byzantine Empire. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) p. 246-247
  6. ^ Steven G. Ellis, Lud'a Klusáková. Imagining frontiers, contesting identities. Edizioni Plus, 2007 ISBN 9788884924667, p. 134 "In 1337 the Albanians of Epirus Nova invaded the area of Berat and appeared for the first time in Epirus".
  7. ^ Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond. Migrations and invasions in Greece and adjacent areas. Noyes Press, 1976, ISBN 9780815550471, p. 61 "By 1335 they were in possession also of the area between Berat and the Gulf of Valona"
  • Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca chapters xviii, xix, xx
  • Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "Demetrius", 18, 31; "Phocion", 31
  • Franca Landucci Gattinoni: L'arte del potere. Vita e opere di Cassandro di Macedonia. Stuttgart 2003. ISBN 3-515-08381-2
  • The Cambridge ancient history, page 92
  • The Regional Directorate of National Culture'
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