MUSINE KOKALARI MUSEUM
Gjirokaster, Albania
MUSINE KOKALARI MUSEUM
In the heart of the tourist area of Gjirokastër, just a few minutes away from the traditional Bazaar, lies the memorial “My Muse,” dedicated to the first female writer in Albanian literature, Musine Kokalari.
The memorial is housed within the interior spaces of a traditional house over two hundred years old, which carries the centuries-old history of one of the most well-known families in Gjirokastër. The building is surrounded by a green oasis of vegetation, offering, above all, a sense of relaxation and peace. This feeling is further reinforced by the visit to the memorial's premises, where visitors can learn about the life and work of Musine Kokalari.
Musine Kokalari is not only the first female author to write a book in Albanian literature but also an intellectual with a remarkable contribution across various fields. As a woman, she was in many ways a forerunner—or the very first.
She was among the first Albanian girls to receive a high-level education. She earned her doctorate with distinction from the University of “La Sapienza” in Rome at a time when 80% of Albania's population was illiterate and the society deeply patriarchal.
Musine was also a pioneer of the feminist movement, addressing social and psychological issues and advocating for the emancipation of Albanian women throughout all her books. She became a role model for young women, as she was the first to work in a public setting—in the “Venus” bookstore, in the center of Tirana.
Musine Kokalari was a supporter of democratic ideas and the founder of the Social Democratic Party, at a time when Europe was divided between two dictatorial ideologies: fascism and communism. Her political engagement marks her as the first female politician in opposition to communism across Eastern Europe.
She is also known as an ethnographer and contributor to the collection and documentation of ethnotextual heritage.
Her personality is multi-dimensional, but what makes her story even more extraordinary is that she accomplished all of this in a very limited time. At just 27 years old, she was arrested and sentenced by the communist regime as an enemy of the state. She spent the rest of her life in prison, internment, and isolation—alone and under surveillance until her death at the age of 65.
During your visit to the memorial, you will have the opportunity to get to know her story, her spirit, and her passions up close. Everything on display is inspired by and based on original documents, artifacts, and handwritten memoirs left by her.
A short videomapping film presents the key moments of her life, based on her personal memories recounted in autobiographical books, diaries, and handwritten notes.
The presentation is available in Albanian and English, with translation assistance offered in Italian, Dutch, Greek, and Norwegian.
For anyone interested in exploring her life further, a digital library is available, featuring archived personal and family photos, documents, and her manuscripts.
The memorial also contains a complete bibliography of her books, books published about her, and a rich library that includes publications from the past 100 years.
In contrast to her painful story under the communist regime, visitors can also view albums, posters, and magazines for all ages from the dictatorship era, which promoted the idea of a happy life in socialist Albania.
At the conclusion of the visit, you can see the residence of the top officials of the regime, built in the garden of the house where the memorial stands, along with their emergency escape tunnel located right next to it.