Tepelenë
40.29555555555620.018888888889200Koordinaten: 40 ° 18 ' N, 20 ° 1' O
Tepelenë ( Albanian: Tepelenë, of Turkish Tepedelen ) is a small town with 4342 inhabitants ( 2011) in southern Albania. The town lies in the valley of the river Vjosa. She is best known as the birthplace of Ali Pasha. Tepelenë is the official seat of a circle.
Location
Tepelenë lies on the left bank of the Vjosa on a plateau high above the river. The Vjosa here turns after it has broken a few kilometers before a mountain range in the gorge of Këlcyra, to the north. In addition, at this point opens a river Drinos.
Thanks to its location at the place of meeting of these two valleys Tepelenë has always been an important traffic hub in the southern Albanian mountains. The road from Fier after Gjirokastra, the main compound in the south of Albania leads, today through the town. After Fier in the northwest of the distance is 75 kilometers away, Gjirokastra in the southeast is 30 kilometers. To the east, the road branches off to the Përmet and Korçë.
The cityscape is dominated by the fortress Ali Pasha, perched on a steep rock overlooking the river.
Economy
The most important company is a factory for bottling of mineral water a few miles south at the source uje i Ftohte.
History
Tepelenë is an Ottoman city's founding. So is the name of the city of Turkish origin. In 1600 began a profound Islamization of the area. To date, the Muslims are the largest religious community in the city. At the turn of the 18th to 19th century Tepelenë belonged to the dominion of Ali Pasha. This was to expand and improve the fortress in his birthplace. Alternately he resided here and in Ioannina. In both places he was visited 1809/10 by the poet Lord Byron.
1920, the city was destroyed by an earthquake.
Tepelenë is one of the few Albanian towns that lead to a coat of arms. It shows a red shield erect a golden lion on a black castle wall with towers. It is reminiscent of Ali Pasha, who was also called Lion of Ioannina.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Tepedelenli Ali Pasha (1741-1822), Ottoman Pasha
- Tafil Buzi (1792-1844), rebel leader against the Ottoman Empire
- Valentina Leskaj (* 1948), politician
- Gramoz RuCl (* 1951), politician
- Muhedin Targaj ( b. 1955 ), football player
- Photo Strakosha (born 1965 ), football goalkeeper