A.A.N.O. Convention on August 4-6, 2006 in Tirana, Albania

Kruje is situated in the mountains and was the headquarters for Albanian national hero, Skanderbeg, in his war against the Turks. The citadel and museum depict the Albanian struggle.

Sights of Albania

Hotel Tirana International - Tiranë

The most prestigious and large hotel in Albania, located right in the city center, on Skanderbeg Square, Tirana International is the symbol of the capital. The hotel has been hosting several important events in Albania during the years and is a perfect destination for international business travellers.

Tirana International hotel offers comfortable and elegant accommodation and all the conveniences you expect from a first class hotel. You can experience the culinary delights specially prepared by the professional chefs in the charming Pergola restaurant featuring a large terrace for fine dining under the stars, or enjoy the town's best coffee with tasteful sandwiches in the Cafe Lounge on the lobby level.

Among the services you will also find 9 conference and meeting rooms with a capacity of up to 900 people, which make this place the largest Conference Centre in Albania.

Wi-Fi Internet access is available in all public areas and is free of charge.

irana International hotel offers comfortable and elegant single and double rooms. Each room features private bathroom, mini-bar, individually controlled air-conditioning, direct-dial telephone, satellite TV and radio.

Hairdryers and ironing facilities are provided on request.

• Additional beds
• Air conditioning
• Cable TV
• Colour TV
• Cot available upon request
• Direct dial phone
• Electronic safe
• Facilities for disabled people
• Hairdryer available on request
• Hairdryer in room
• Heating

• High speed Internet connection
• Individually controlled air conditioning
• Internet plug
• Iron and ironing board available on request
• Iron and ironing boards in room
• LCD flat screen TV
• Mini bar
• Mini fridge
• Non-smoking rooms
• Non-smoking rooms available upon request

• PC with internet access in room
• Radio
• Rooms with view
• Rooms with view available upon request
• Safe
• Satellite TV
• Soundproof rooms
• Telephone
• Wireless Internet connection
• Writing desk

Lage: Das Hotel liegt im Zentrum von Saranda. ca. 150 m vom Meer entfernt.

Zimmer: Das Hotel verfügt über 17 Zimmer, davon 6 Doppelzimmer mit Einzelbetten, 4 Doppelzimmer, 4 Doppelzimmer mit Einstellbett sowie 3 Apartments. Alle 17 Zimmer sind mit Badezimmer, Klimaanlage, Minibar, Kühlschrank und TV ausgestattet.

Service: Das Hotel bietet Ihnen zudem eine Bar un einen Parkplatz. Das Personal spricht Englisch, Italienisch und Griechisch.

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Botschaft der Republik Albanien in Deutschland
Friedrichstraße 231
D-10969 Berlin
Tel: (030) 259 30 40
Fax: (030) 25 93 18 90
Mo-Fr 08.00-16.00 Uhr

Konsularabteilung:
Tel:(030) 25 93 04 51
Fax: (030) 25 93 18 90
Mo-Fr 9.00-12.00 Uhr.
E-Mail: kanzlei@botschaft-albanien.de
Internet: www.botschaft-albanien.de

Botschaft der Republik Albanien in der Schweiz
Pourtalèsstraße 65
CH-3074 Muri/Bern
Tel: (031) 952 60 10
Fax: (031) 952 60 12.
E-Mail: emalb.ch@bluewin.ch
Mo-Fr 08.30-14.30 Uhr. Di u. Do 09.00-12.00 Uhr (Visastelle).

Botschaft der Republik Albanien in Österreich
Prinz-Eugen-Straße 18/15
A-1140 Wien
Tel: (01) 328 86 56
Fax: (01) 328 86 58.
E-Mail: albemb.vie@chello.at
Mo-Fr 9.00-18.00 Uhr
Konsularabteilung: Mo, Mi, Fr 10.00-12.00 Uhr. Honorarkonsulat in Villach und Grödig.

Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Albanien
Rruga Skenderbeu 8
AL-Tirana
Tel: (04) 27 45 05
Fax: (04) 23 34 97
E-Mail: German.Embassy@icc.al.eu.org
Internet: www.tirana.diplo.de

Österreichische Botschaft in Albanien
Rruga Frederik Shiroka 3
AL-Tirana
Tel: (04) 23 31 44, 23 31 57
Fax: (04) 23 31 40.
E-Mail: tirana-ob@bmaa.gv.at

Botschaft der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft in Albanien
Rruga e Elbasanit 81
AL-Tirana
Tel: (04) 23 48 88
Fax: (04) 23 48 89.
E-Mail: vertretung@tir.rep.admin.ch
Mo-Fr: 09.00-11.00 Uhr

Hotel Colosseo, Shkodra
Rr. "13 Dhjetori", Shkodra

Lage: Das luxuriöse 3 Sterne Hotel Colosseo liegt im Stadtzentrum und ist somit ein idealer Ausgangspunkt für Geschäfts- und Städtereisende.

Zimmer: Das Hotel verfügt 14 moderne Zimmer, davon 2 Suiten, 5 Doppelzimmer und 7 Zweibettzimmer. Die Zimmer sind modern ausgestattet mit Klimaanlage, TV, Telefon, Minibar, Badezimmer mit Dusche, Haartrockener.

Service: Das Restaurant serviert albanische und internationale Gerichte. Das Hotel verfügt einen Konferenzraum, einen Bar, Sauna, Schwimmbad und ein Parkplatz.

Korce Free American Library
and Learning Center (K - 12 and University)

The Korce Free American Library and Learning Center is doing just great. It has been nearly six years since the library was established and dedicated for the District of Korce.

We all owe Ariana Themelli (George Kerhalli's sister-in-law), who was our first director of the Library, our deepest gratitude for being a terrific manager and organizer. Mary Hunter, the Albanian-American librarian from Texas, did a wonderful job training Ariana - who then made it all happen with her two able assistants, Anxhela Cece and Xhensila Qinrci. When Ariana left for America, the leadership and responsibility torch was passed to Anxhela Cece, a very able and talented lady.

Mr. Peter Kole announced that three large shipping containers of books, shelving and miscellaneous furniture arrived safely on June 9, 2001 and stored in a warehouse that he rented in the city of Korce. Mr. Kole extends thanks to Congressman Sherrod Brown for his help in getting the containers shipped with Department of Defense funding. Also, a big thanks to Mr. Lou Foundos for providing contact with the U.S. Government Representative in Tirana, Mr. Chuck Levesque. Mr. Levesque helped in the arrangements through Customs for the three containers once they were in Greece. Finally, thanks to Mr. Agim Nesho, the Albanian Ambassador to the United Nations who worked with Mr. Kole to get the containers released by the Albanian government without having to pay the huge fines and duty charges which were imposed on the NEARO shipments.

The Library is now complete. This last shipment contained approximately 60,000 books from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Most of these books were published in the 1990's and are in very good condition. The Korce Library and Learning Center now has 200 - 300,000 books available for the people of Korce.

We have approximately 900 card-carrying members of the Korce Library in Albania. Both students and non-students use this library. Classes are provided for teaching the English language to children in the primary schools. The Library has become a major asset to the people of Korce.

Here are some pictures of the Library:

July 2002 Visit by U. S. State Department Established an Albanian Teachers Resource Center in the Korce Free American Public Library.

An Ohio industrialist and friend of the University, Peter Kole, has established the Peter C. Kole Endowed Scholarship Fund to benefit students of Albanian heritage with a gift of $88,000. As a supporter of the New England Albanian Relief Organization, Kole is a leader in humanitarian aid to his ancestral homeland. It was on a humanitarian trip to Albania in 1990 that Kole was introduced to respected alumnus Dr. Lambi Adams '33 and thus became acquainted with Clark and its tradition of offering Albanian Americans opportunities for higher education. Worcester is home to one of the largest Albanian American communities in the United States. Clark has educated first and second generation Albanian Americans for more than five decades, including Gerim Panarity '26 editor of the first Albanian American newspaper in the United States, and Steve Dune ‘53, Perry Pero '61 and R. Norman Peters '62, Clark trustees. Although not a Worcester resident, Kole regularly visits the Universitv to meet with Albanian students and to offer support. At a recent meeting Kole encouraged students to take advantage of all that higher education has to offer saying, "Education is the great equalizer, and without it, we can't survive." Kole is a man of action. When he saw that there were no libraries in Albania, he collected thousands of books and eventually opened the largest open-stack library in Europe in his hometown of Progadec. He also hired a retired American librarian to organize the library and train local residents to run it. Unfortunately, as a result of unrest in the country, the library was destroyed by fire. For his dedication to humanitarian causes, Kole has been named a distinguished alumnus by his alma mater, Idaho State University, where he has also established scholarships. He is president and owner of several manufacturing companies. Kole and his wife, Nancy, reside in Cleveland, Ohio, and enjoy traveling in addition to their philanthropic work.

In the antique period the Illyrians had a polytheistic mythology. At the very beginning their religions were aconic but in time they accepted an iconographic presentation. Illyrians created an original heathen mythological system. The main figures of Illyrian mythology were the God of War called Medaur and the God of the Sea called Redon, as well as a number of local gods. In contact with the Greek and Roman mythology, under the name of Greek and Roman gods, Illyrians adapted their own local gods. Later on, since the 1st century of our era, Christianity spread in Illyria. Early Christianity was preached by St. Paul himself. The cradle of this Christianity was the town of Durres. Up till late antiquity in the 6th century Christianity underwent great development with majestic basilicas decorated with brilliant artistic mosaics. Later on, with the division of the world-wide Roman Empire into that of the West and East, Albania remained under the frame of Eastern Christianity, but the influence of Western Christianity has been permanent.

In the 15th century, Ottoman occupation marks the beginning of the spread of Islamic religion. But Albanians also practiced secret Christianity, crypto-Christianity, under the Islamic guise. Now the largest part of the population in Albania is Muslim. Of importance in this religion is the sect of Bektashi. Albanians believe in the Orthodox and Catholic churches as well. In 1967 the communist regime banned religious practices and closed religious institutions. Religious freedom and institutions were re-established only following the collapse of the totalitarian regime. Albanian Christianity has produced the greatest figure of all times, Mother Theresa, known also as Theresa of Calcutta, a Nobel Prize winner, who was of Albanian origin. Tolerance and a culture of exemplary understanding have characterized this religious plurality in Albania.

ALBANIA BETWEEN THE MYTH AND THE FUTURE

Albania is a small country with a rich landscape. It is bound by two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian, and has numerous rivers and three large lakes. The peaks of the Alps intertwine with the coastal lowlands, plains full of forest in the North and resembling the Riviera in the South, the kaleidoscope of marvelous ethnographic areas and costumes and folklore.

Albanians owe their origin to the ancient Illyrians of the Continent, with significant vestiges still surviving to this day. The archaeological cities of Buthrintus (sung by Virgil in Eneida as a second Troy), Apollonia (where the Roman Emperor Augustus studied Philosophy) Bulisus and Durres (with its giant amphitheater and temples originally crossed by the Via Egnatia leading to Constantinople) are all examples of this heritage.

The Middle Ages were marked by the figure of George Castriot Scanderbeg, the so-called "Athlete of Christ", a strategist and humanist and founder of Albania national unity. The stories of his achievements and heroism, written by Martin Barleti have, since the XVI century, been translated into countless languages including Portuguese. The Albania of today is symbolized by another figure, that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Albania history is marked by its struggle for independence against a totalitarian state. With its age-old links to the sea, the Albanian civilization is full of maritime metaphors, symbols and legends. One of these symbols is the century-old Iembe, a ship invented by the ancient Illyrians.

Tirana the capital since 1924, is the largest city with a population of about 300,000 people. The city presents a striking contrast between the modern and the Turkish style buildings with their old world charm. It is the political, social and economic hub of the country. Situated on Skanderbeg Square are the Place of Culture, the National Historical Museum, the old Mosque of E'them Bay, the old clock tower, and the Opera and Ballet theaters.

Sights of Albania