Tepelenë

Tepelenë is a town located in Vjosa Valley, historically significant due to its strategic location and its association with Ali Pasha of Tepelenë, a prominent Ottoman ruler in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His traces can be seen in Tepelenë’s Castle or the nearby aqueduct.

Tepelenë is situated on the left shore of the Vjosa River on a plateau above the river. The Vjosa turns north here, having broken through the mountain range in the Këlcyra Gorge a few kilometres earlier. At Tepelenë, the Vjosa River also connects with the valleys of the Drino and Bënça rivers. The city’s location is more than strategic, allowing it to control a large area from one point.

Today’s Tepelenë was founded by the Ottomans while the name of the town is of Turkish origin. The city was first mentioned in 1506. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Tepelenë belonged to the domain of Ali Pasha who had the castle in his birthplace extended and enlarged. 

Ali Pasha is often remembered for his complex personality and his efforts to consolidate power in the region. He was known for his ambition, ruthlessness, and cunning tactics. His main seat was at Ioannina in what is now northwestern Greece, and he made Tepelenë his second residence. He is praised for leaving behind a large number of transport or other infrastructural constructions in the region.

Not many of the historic buildings of Tepelenë in and outside of the castle (Kalaja e Tepelenës) have survived as the town suffered from severe damage from a massive earthquake and plundering Greek irregulars in the early 20th century and saw enormous destruction in both world wars. All that is left of the once magnificent castle are the fortifications. The houses inside are all modern, but got stone roofs to get older look.

During the communist dictatorship, there were several internment camps around Tepelenë for real or perceived opponents of the regime. One of them, west of the city in the Bënça Valley, still serves as a prison today.

In the nearby valley of the Bënça River, Ali Pasha built an imposing two-story aqueduct (Ujësjellësi i Ali Pashës) to bring drinking water to the city. It is located about five kilometres from the town along a narrow asphalt road. A couple of hundred metres further on, on a cliff high above the river, is the Bektashi tekke (Teqeja e Bënçës), one of the most beautiful in Albania due to its picturesque location (if you want to walk directly to the shrine, you have to take the path on the left bank of the river from the aqueduct). If you were to follow the Bënça Valley road further south, you reach the Kurvelesh region.

The iconic view of the Vjosa River from Tepelenë can be found from a viewpoint at south eastern tip of the castle. From there, the famous Beçisht Bridge can also be seen. The 260-meter-long structure is of Roman origin but was completely restored by Ali Pasha in the late 18th century. Today, it’s just a footbridge connecting Tepelenë with several settlements on the right bank of the Vjosa River, including the village of Beçisht, the birthplace of Ali Pasha.

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