Discover your Albanian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Albania did our family come from? Was it near Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Albania, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Albania were cooked at home? Did anyone make Baked lamb with yogurt or Fërgesë?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Albanian, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Albania that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Albania? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Albania together, where would you go first?

A short history of Albania

Albania's story runs from Illyrian kingdoms and Greek colonies on the coast, through Rome, Byzantium and the hero Skanderbeg, to four centuries of Ottoman rule, independence in 1912 and a hard road from communism to democracy.

1. 627 BC

   Greeks found Epidamnos

   Greek colonists from Corinth and Corcyra (Corfu), working with the local Illyrian Taulantii, founded the port of Epidamnos. It later became Roman Dyrrachium and is today's Durrës.

2. 1190

   The Principality of Arbanon

   Progon of Kruja founded the Principality of Arbanon, with its centre at Krujë. It is seen as the first sketch of an Albanian state, and lasted into the 13th century.

3. 1468

   Death of Skanderbeg

   Skanderbeg died on 17 January 1468 after about 25 years of resistance. Krujë fell to the Ottomans ten years later, and Albania remained under Ottoman rule until 1912.

4. 1908

   The Congress of Manastir

   Albanian scholars meeting in Manastir, today's Bitola in North Macedonia, agreed on a Latin alphabet for Albanian. It became the basis of the 36-letter alphabet used today.

5. 1928

   Zog becomes king

   Ahmet Zogu, who had been prime minister and then president, turned Albania into a monarchy in 1928 and took the title King Zog I.

6. 1944

   Communist rule begins

   In 1944 partisan forces led by communists drove out the German army, which had replaced the Italians in 1943. Enver Hoxha led Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985.

7. 1991

   First multi-party elections

   After student protests and the fall of communism across Eastern Europe, Albania held its first multi-party elections on 31 March 1991. The Republic of Albania was proclaimed on 29 April 1991.

8. 2009

   Albania joins NATO

   Albania became a full member of NATO on 1 April 2009 and applied to join the European Union later the same month. It became an official EU candidate in 2014.

Family recipes to cook together

Baked lamb with yogurt 2 h · serves 4Fërgesë 45 min · serves 4Rice balls with mint 1 h · serves 4Byrek (filo pie) 1 h 15 min · serves 6

Albanian words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Tirana, Tirana County: Skanderbeg Square, The Et'hem Bey Mosque.
• Durrës, Durrës County: The Roman amphitheatre, Its busy port.
• Vlorë, Vlorë County: The 1912 Declaration of Independence, The Albanian Riviera to the south.
• Shkodër, Shkodër County: Rozafa Castle, Lake Shkodër.
• Elbasan, Elbasan County: Tavë kosi, Summer Day on 14 March.
• Korçë, Korçë County: The Old Bazaar, Birra Korça beer.
• Berat, Berat County: Berat Castle and its churches, The Mangalem and Gorica quarters.
• Gjirokastër, Gjirokastër County: Gjirokastër Castle, Stone-roofed tower houses.
• Sarandë, Vlorë County: Views across to Corfu, Trips to Butrint.
• Krujë, Durrës County: Krujë Castle, The Skanderbeg Museum.
• Pogradec, Korçë County: Lake Ohrid, Koran trout.