Tirana, a History Through the Camera’s Lens

Abstract

Photography comprises a particular technical social activity but simultaneously is one of the visual arts most spread in the world. On the technical aspect, it preceded the birth of cinematography “the reproduction art of motions”, and later of television. Tirana’s history through photography includes many social aspects of life like history, science and education, culture, publicity, security, crime, sport, documentation, friend and family nostalgic memories. Photography inclusion in this study gave a push to a more in-depth and fundamental research in the archives of the Republic of Albania, in the published albums of local and foreign photographers in order to select the most aesthetically achieved photos. The study of Tirana through photography of the previous years has enabled hence the title “Tirana, a history through the camera’s lens” because after every frame the public finds images that are suited to such a title”. Images in the focus of the camera bear problems related to downtown urban areas of Tirana that began in the 17th and 18th century. Today, the social complex of Suleiman Pasha Ballgjini is accepted as the artistic representation of this period, made up of a mosque and madras, a minaret and a public bath supplied with water from a fountain into the mosque. In photo frames there is also the center of Tirana, a monumental ensemble that started to be built in the years 1929-1930-1931, conceived by the Italian architects Armando Brasini and Florestano de Fausto. The center of this museum area was enriched with genuine national values like the symbols of Alexander the Great and Scanderbeg. Scanderbeg square became through years a proper square in the history of the city and of the country. The archeological and historical values of Tirana are based on the fact that it unified in harmony the existing values of this town with the new ones that Tirana was achieving as the capital city of the country.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n3p654