Peqin Castle

The Peqin Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Peqinit) is a castle in Peqin, Albania. In the past the city was known by the name of Claudiana, an Illyrian-inhabited territory. The foundations of the castle are thought to date from the Roman period, the time of the construction of the Via Egnatia. Its walls at one point had a height of around 12 metres (39 ft). The castle was later rebuilt and expanded during the Turkish occupation of Albania, at which time it was passed into the control of the Sipahi (lord) of the local fief, who added a palace and a harem. The last resident of the castle was Demir Pasha.

The 17th-century historian Evliya Çelebi mentioned the fortress in his writings:

...the walls of this castle reach about 12 m in height. Within resides the dizdar, along with 70 soldiers. There are five cannons in the castle, and ten small houses roofed with tiles. There is also a small mosque with no minaret. On the left side of the castle, connected to a wall, is a prayer chapel (namazgja)...

Peqin

Peqin (Albanian: Peqin, Peqini, in history named: Claudiana) is a town a municipality in Elbasan County, central Albania. The municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjoçaj, Karinë, Pajovë, Peqin, Përparim and Shezë, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Peqin. The total population is 26,136 (2011 census), in a total area of 197.79 km². The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 6,353.

History

The city dates back 2000 years, it is mentioned as Illyrian fortress. The ancient name of Peqin was Claudiana. The city's modern name derives from the Ottoman form Bekleyin, which means a place of hospitality. During Ottoman rule Peqin belonged to the Sanjak of Elbasan. The Ottoman Peqin Castle still exists, along with some original parts of the mosque of Abdurrahman Pasha, who had been the governor of Wallachia and Moldavia (former Bogdania). Peqin's football team, KS Shkumbini, plays in the Albanian superleague. KS Shkumbini is famous for its fans, called Besniket (faithful).