Eco-Museum of Himarë. The storytelling of the old town of Himara and the Castle, in Albanian.

The old town of Himara and the Castle, otherwise known as Barbakas, are in themselves an important monument that testifies to the human presence in the Himara region 3500 years ago. It has existed since the middle of the 4th century BC and controlled the road along the coast. Himara is included in the Epirot tribe of the Kaons and is mentioned in some ancient writings of Homer, the Greek geographer Strabo, Pliny, the English scholar Hammond, etc. Historical facts show that Himara is often referred to
by the name or toponym Chimera, which represented a mythological being with the body of a lion, the head of a goat and a lion, and the tail of a serpent.
-The castle type is barbaka. A Barbaka is a 2500-3000-year-old castle that dates 500-1000 years BC. If you look at the part of the old stones of the castle, they are massive stones that were otherwise called cyclopean stones. Old Himara is the most important part here and is currently the pride of the entire area. The city of Himara has been the pinnacle of social and cultural activity because the whole area here, starting from Vuno where the locals came and spent an afternoon here in the main part which is the center of Himara, and then the other parts: Piluri Kuci and definitely
Himara. They gathered there and spent the afternoon.
Himara Castle, an extraordinary observation point, is built on the top of the hill, in a prominent place, overlooking the stream of Visha canyon and Livadh beach. The old houses, where some of them are still habitable, make it one of the few habitable castles in Albania. In some parts of the Castle, the surrounding walls of the Hellenistic period are preserved. Large blocks
of polygonal stones are similar to the surrounding walls of other Kaonia cities of the same period.
The tradition of stonework in the construction of houses, churches, schools, and neighborhoods, is a symbol of every area in the municipality of Himara. Regular masonry with corners and frames made of hewn stone, regular forms of old buildings, with various windows made of handmade stone, entrances of houses with shapes and with stone frames are characteristic of this tradition. The special ceilings of the houses, in symmetrical and painted shapes, are found especially in the complex houses of the area. In the whole area of Himara, specifically at the entrance of the Castle, in the residential complexes, churches, and service buildings, one may observe worked and carved stones. The stones are carved in the form of animals and plants for religious and superstitious reasons. The crowns of the entrances and gates are decorated with various motifs, as are the corners of the windows and houses.
The whole architectural area of Himara Castle has been declared a cultural monument. It is definitely the most important part of the history of this area, so anyone who wishes to know Himara better should definitely visit the castle and the old village.
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can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.