Albania

To live means to leave traces. The famous novelist Ismail Kadare is one of the few Albanian writers who has left behind a legacy for many generations. Everyone, including tourists, should learn about the life of this personality during the communist regime. In 2019 his house in Tirana, where he lived and wrote most of the books, is turned into a museum and opened for the public . The old building has a typical communist architecture. It is situated some meters behind the Palace of Culture or Tirana International hotel, in the former Broadway street, or Rruga e Dibres. The building is not painted, it is grey like in old times with electric wires hanging everywhere. The entrance is from behind.

On the top of it, one can see the symbol K (Kadare- StudioHouse). The apartment is on the 4^th floor. The door is so old, painted in white like all the doors in that time. Only two writers living in this building, Ismail Kadare and Dritero Agolli have the biggest apartments 4 bedrooms which was very rare that time, while all the others apartments were with 1 or 2 bedrooms.

As you enter in the leaving room, you can see a big cupboard, with lots of memories, texts, photos, and documents belonging to the writer and his family. When you see the eye sign, this means that you are allowed to see inside. You can open the drawers and have a look. Mostly are in Albanian language, you can see his notes but also the drawings of his kids, family photos etc.

In the wall in front, you can see the years Kadare stayed in this house, and the books he wrote in each year. Everywhere in the house you can read quotes from his books or from books of his wife Helena Kadare which also is a writer. In the tables you can see some catalogues with photos of old Tirana, and some other books referring to this building in that time. In the other room you will see some other works of Kadare, the books he wrote when he was living in France or in his holiday house in Durres.

Then you enter in his studio, very special, with a huge bookcase, a fireplace and the working table. In front of it, there is a dark room when you can see some pieces of movies directed by Kadare couple.

The bedroom is turned into a special room for the novel: “General of the Dead Army”, the book who made him famous outside Albania. Several movies are directed based on this novel.

The last room is a study room, which will be used for readers, students and researchers of Kadare work and life. You need to buy a ticket to use this room. The exit from this room directs you on the other side of the building.  Another museum of the writer Dritero Agolli will also be hosted in this building. They were the most influential writers during communist time. This building will serve as a symbol of all people, tourists who want to know how intellectuals lived and worked during communist regime.