National History Museum, Tirana (must see)

Opened on October 28, 1981, the National History Museum was created as Albania’s main historical museum, presenting the country’s story from antiquity to the modern period. Its broad façade is best known for the monumental mosaic “The Albanians,” a Socialist Realist composition showing figures from different stages of Albanian history. The building itself reflects the communist period’s taste for large public institutions.

The museum’s permanent exhibitions include thousands of objects arranged across major historical sections. These cover Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the National Renaissance, Independence, Iconography, the National Liberation Antifascist War, Communist Terror, and Mother Teresa. The Pavilion of Antiquity is among the museum’s most important areas, with objects dating from the 4th century BC through the early Middle Ages. Notable exhibits include sculptures such as Apollo and the head of Artemis, finds from the Monumental Tomb of Lower Selca, and the famous mosaic known as the Beauty of Durrës.

The museum also introduces visitors to Albania’s modern history, including the period after the Declaration of Independence in 1912, World War II, and the decades of communist rule. The sections on the National Liberation Antifascist War and Communist Terror used documents, photographs, relics, and film material to explore conflict, persecution, resistance, and state power in the 20th century. Another section is dedicated to Mother Teresa, presenting photographs and personal objects connected with her life and humanitarian work.

At present, tourists should note that the museum is closed to visitors for a major restoration and reconstruction project, announced for the period from March 15, 2024, to March 15, 2028. Even so, the building remains worth a pause.