ENVER HOXHA’S VILLA : THE RESIDENCE OF ALBANIA'S FORMER TYRANT

Architecturally fascinating and historically mysterious, Enver Hoxha’s villa of residence in Tirana offers yet another glimpse into the mind and secrecy of Albania’s former ruler.

The vicinity of ​​the former Block is one of the most fascinating and dynamic quadrants of Tirana. The surprising combination of modern development amongst the inherited architecture visually represented post-90s, with the city’s communist history and what followed thereafter. During Communism citizens were even too afraid to glance and gaze upon Hoxha’s villa from afar, the entire block around the villa was inaccessible and restricted from regular folk.

Enver Hoxha’s Villa was built in the centre of this quadrant on a spacious piece of land surrounded by a light iron fence. Hoxha dwelled in the villa until the final moments of his life, leaving behind a population’s unwavering curiosity. What exactly happened inside the boundaries that housed Albania’s most powerful man for more than four decades of his life? Built post-1960s, the oldest part of the building mimics 1930s style architecture, whilst the newest part is a colossal concrete block, plastered with white stone tiles, making the villa look like both a place of residence, and a fortified structure. The house has remained exactly as Hoxha’s family left it!

If you want to discover more about the communist past of Albania continue the tour by reading our extended article here.