The city of one thousand window, icons, legends, churches and mosques Berat, a historical picturesque town in south-central Albania, lies on the slops of wild Mount Tomorri. Berat is one of the oldest in Albania, keeping the earliest traces of human habitation and settlement dating from 2600-1800 BC. The city of Berat was composed of two fortifications on both shores of the Osum River and is adorned with 40 Byzantine churches and some 30 mosques. Historical part of Berat features a castle, locally known as the Kalaja, most of which was built during reconstruction in the 13-th century, carried during the reign of the Epirote despot Michael Angelos Comnenus, although its origins possibly date back to the 4th century BC. The remarkable old town of Berat was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2008. The Kalaja citadel area of Berat numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, several of which contain valuable wall paintings and icons. The name of Berat is derived via the Ottoman Turkish from the older Beligrad meaning “white city” in Slavic or Belgrade/, under which name it was known in Greek, Latin and Slavic documents during the early and Late Middle Ages. In the 17th century Berat was major merchant and craft center of the Ottoman Balkans specializing in wood carvin. Above Berat is a mountaintop fortress rebuilt by the Byzantines in the 13th century, with a view over the broad Osum River valley, serpentine river and snow-capped peaks. Inside Berat’s walls there are dwelling houses and the Onufri Museum.
