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Albania Gift -  Gjirokastra City Fridge Magnet

Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of around 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is also the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County. Its old town is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estate." Gjirokastër is situated in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River, at 300 meters above sea level. The city is overlooked by the Gjirokastër Castle.

In the 14th and beginning of the 15th century the city was the capital of the Principality of Gjirokastër, under Gjon Zenebishi, before falling under the Ottoman Empire. After the Ottoman defeat in the Balkan Wars and the subsequent withdrawal of the Greek Army, it became again a capital, this time of the short lived Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus. Gjirokastër is also the city of birth of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and notable writer Ismail Kadare. It also hosts the Eqerem Çabej University.

Although the majority of the population is Albanian^{[citation needed]}, the city is also home to an ethnic Greek community, as well as to communities of Vlachs and Roma. Gjirokastër is considered the center of the Greek community in Albania

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