Mangalem District

The Mangalem district in Berat is a typical example of Ottoman urbanism and architecture. It consists of narrow cobbled streets weaving through dense multi-storey wooden houses with white facades and bay windows. The entire neighbourhood is set into a steep hillside, where each house has a perfect view of the Osum River valley and the imposing Mount Tomorr. The beautifully decorated King Mosque is one of the oldest in Albania.

Looking at Mangalam from the east, one can see all the windows. That’s also why Berat is sometimes called the City of a Thousand Windows. Many of the houses have been converted into guesthouses, where you will be able to enjoy the incredible genius loci of this city.

Mangalem’s heyday in the 18th century is associated with the influx of refugees from Voskopojë into Berat, who took their crafts with them. Almost all of the houses were newly built or reconstructed in the mid-19th century when Berat was hit by a strong earthquake.

In the centre of Mangalem, down by the river, most of the Islamic buildings of Berat are concentrated. At the intersection of Mihal Komena and Antipatrea Streets stands the King Mosque (Xhamia e Mbretit), built in 1492 by the Turkish Sultan Bayezid II. It is therefore one of the oldest in Albania. Unlike most Albanian mosques, it does not have a dome, but a flat wooden roof. Its ceiling is painted in colour. Ask the caretaker, and he will take you up the narrow staircase to the 30-metre-high minaret for a small fee.

The mosque houses the shrine (tekke) of the once influential Sufi order of the Khalveti (halveti), whose followers included many sultans in the Ottoman Empire era. This community bears some common elements with the more widespread Bektashi order, and in addition to Berat, it also has prayer houses in Bosnia’s Sarajevo and North Macedonia’s Skopje. The Berat tekke is dedicated to Sheh Qerim (Teqeja e Sheh Qerimit).

The building is entered through a small arcade made up of ancient columns brought from the ruins of Apollonia. The interior decorations are dominated by a beautifully painted ceiling carved from wood. Tekke was built in the second half of the 17th century by the ruler Ahmed Kurt Pasha, who is buried in one of the side rooms.

On the embankment of the Osum River is another of Berat’s mosques, the so-called Bachelors’ Mosque (Xhamia e Beqarëve). It was named after those who most often went to pray there: the merchants of Berat, who were often unmarried. Its exterior is strikingly reminiscent of Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana.

On the street rising from Mangalem to the castle stands a historic two-storey building, which today houses the Ethnographic Museum (Muzeu Kombëtar Etnografik i Beratit). The ground floor is a replica of a medieval street with workshops, you can also see an olive oil press. The first floor in a typical house was usually occupied by a family, and this is no different in this museum: everyday objects and furniture are on display in the various rooms and the kitchen.

TIP: Among dozens of hotels and guesthouses, the Hotel Mangalemi stands out. When visiting Mangalem, you should not miss it for its superb cuisine, cosy ambience, historic house, and perfect location.

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