National Historical Museum — Attraction in Tirana Municipality

On 28 October 1981 the National History Museum was inaugurated.

For the establishment of this museum, a team with the best specialists of the country, of the fields of history, linguistics, archeology, ethnography, cartography, architecture and art was gathered. For this museum was worked organized, according to the respective sections, for almost 3 years, until its opening. The group was headed by distinguished personalities like, Alex Buda, Stefanaq Pollo, Selami Pulaha, Skënder Anamali, Emin Riza, Burhan Çiraku, Kleanthi Dedi, Iljaz Goga, Rrok Zojzi, Abaz Dojaka, Ramadan Sokoli, Enver Faja, Nina Shehu, Vilson Kilica, Fatmir Haxhiu, Myrteza Fushekati, Met Deliu, Aleksander Meksi and others.

National historical museums are among the most important conductors of the official interpretation of a country's history, along with the national education system. They play an important role in protecting identity for the nation as well as for escorting this self-image to visitors and the outside world. But museums differ from what the story writes, because for a museum the language of expression are museum objects exhibited, coupled with the data for them.

The National History Museum is the largest museum institution in Albania and one of the most important.

The National History Museum building has a total area of ​​27,000 m2 and has an exposure area of ​​18,000 m2 and an overall volume of 81,000 m3.

There are about 5000 objects in the museum's premises, which belong to a relatively long period of time beginning in the IV century BC and until the second half of the 20th century.

The museum is conceived so that the presentation is done through eight pavilions.

Pavian of the Antiquity Pavian of the Middle Ages Pavijon of the National Renaissance Pavision of Independence Pavijoni i ikone Pavijon of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War Pavijon of Communist Terror Pavijon of...

This is a large museum with a fascinating collection. It’s very much in an old-school style of museum presentation, with static displays and lots of text panels. Unfortunately multilingual audio guides are not available so touring the museum is a very passive experience. Given the richness of the artifacts we’re certain that we missed out on a great deal of fascinating information.

There is a heavy emphasis on Stone & Bronze Age artifacts and history. These sections have the most English-language translations so are the most accessible for non-Albanian visitors.

Beyond those displays there are only sporadic sections where English language panels are available. One such area is the period of Italian intervention in Albania beginning in the 1930s and into the Second World War. This section of the Museum offers insight into how the various anti-fascist groups formed, and how eventually Enver Hoxha’s faction became dominant. This led, in turn, to the establishment of one of the most brutal totalitarian dictatorships of the 20th Century.

The lack of materials/stories about that brutal period is the most disappointing aspect of the museum. There are a number of empty galleries in the building; hopefully there are plans in the works to develop robust educational exhibitions highlighting the madness that was Hoxha-ism. For if we fail to learn the lessons of history we are doomed to repeat them.

At 500L per adult this museum is a bargain and well worth a visit.

*Note: the mueum is not air conditioned. While there are floor fans placed here and there if yiu visit on a hot day (as we did) expect to be very warm by the end...

The Pavilion of Antiquity is the most important and one of the richest with objects in the National Historical Museum, with 585 objects. The displayed objects start with the Late Paleolithic, where prehistoric culture is proved lively and powerful in our lands, and ends with objects belonging to the Early Middle Ages (4th to 8th centuries). The objects of the prehistoric settlement of Maliq represent the Neolithic flourishing since the middle of the fourth millennium until about 2600 BC.

The exhibited objects and the coins of silver and bronze embossed on behalf of the Illyrian kings of the centers of Durrës, Apollonia, Shkodër, Byllis and Amantia, discovered in the provinces of South Illyria of the 4th to 3rd centuries BC, indicate a strong economy and urban Illyrian culture in general. Impressive are sculptures of the Apolloniates school or God Apollo, one of the most beautiful sculptures of the time (6th century BC). Quite interesting are: the mosaic of the "Beauty of Durres" (4th century BC), the head of Artemis (3rd century BC), the anthropomorphic appearance of river Vjosa (3rd or 2nd century BC), the head of a man of limestone (5th century AD), vases decorated with red figures, and others. The findings of Monumental Tomb of Lower Selca, Pogradec (3rd century AD) occupy an...