St Paul's Cathedral (Tirana)
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Paul (Albanian Katedralja e Holy Evangelist Palit ) in Tirana is Tirana - Durres to the archbishopric cathedral. It is located in the city center of Tirana on the Boulevard Zhan D' Ark ( Jeanne d' Arc ), which leads along the river Lana. Opened in 2002, the cathedral is dedicated to the Apostle Paul, who is said to have established the Christian church in Durres.
The building was designed in the form of a triangle, symbolizing the one hand, the Trinity, but also the close links of the main religions in the country. The roof falls of the main facade to the rear. The facade is surmounted by a person standing on the pediment above the entrance stone statue of St. Paul. In the windows are pictures of Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa. The tower is connected to the northeast building. The originally planned large dome was realized only half right.
The Paul Cathedral solved the Sacred Heart Cathedral, which was built in 1938, from. The site of the Catholic Church was left by the Albanian state, free of charge, as Pope John Paul II visited Albania in 1993. With the establishment of the new archbishopric in 1992 and the bishopric was moved from Durres to Tirana. The foundation stone was laid in November 1994. [Note 1] The construction works were long little progress. Approx. in 2000 they were completed. On 26 January 2002, the cathedral was consecrated.
West of the Cathedral, the Hotel DAJTI, and to the east is the headquarters of the Banka Kombëtare Tregtare. Before the church performs a pedestrian bridge over the Lana to the office skyscraper European Trade Center and the Enver Hoxha Museum.