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Burrel, Albania

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Burrel
Burrel
Coordinates: 41°36′30″N 20°00′40″E / 41.60833, 20.01111
Country	Albania
County	Dibër County
District	Mat District
Elevation	316 m (1,037 ft)
Population (2005)
- Total	15,539
Time zone	Central European Time (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s)	217

The city's population is 62,000 (2003; 21st rank in Albania). Burrel is one of the largest districts in Albania. It is also known among Albanians as the "Land of Kings", as the father of Gjon Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg, was born there, a hereditary prince of a large district of Epirus that included Mat. Another famous native of Burrel was Ahmet Zogu, first king of Albania (born Ahmet Zogolli, later changed to Ahmet Zogu) (October 8, 1895 – April 9, 1961) who reigned from 1928 to 1939. He was previously Prime Minister of Albania between 1922 and 1924 and President of Albania between 1925 and 1928.

Burrel used to be a miners' town but the mines are closed now. A ferrochrome plant is still working near Burrel.

During the Kosovo conflict there was a refugee camp near Burrel for 2000 people.

The city used to be the site of one of the most terrible prisons of the communist regime, where both ordinary criminals and political prisoners such as Bashkim Shehu and Fatos Lubonja or the Catholic priest Dom Simon Jubani were held. Another famous inmate was Pjetër Arbnori, later to become a member of the free Albanian Parliament. Arbnori was known as "the Mandela of the Balkans" because of the length of his internment, which lasted for over 28 years. The political prisoners used to be condemned for attempts at overthrowing the state or anti-communist propaganda and agitation, for terms of at least 20 years. Often they were re-condemned while in prison. After the fall of the communist regime, the government of the Democratic Party closed the prison and made it a prison-museum. However in 1997, Sali Berisha readopted it as an active prison.

Klubi Sportiv Burreli (KS Burreli) is an Albanian football (soccer) club based in Burrel. Its home arena is Burreli Stadium, containing 2,500 seats. Founded in 1952 under the name "KS 31 Korriku Burrel", the club first participated in the Albanian First Division in 1982. As of the 2006-2007 season, KS Burreli is playing in the Albanian First Division

Koplik

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During the Ottoman occupation the inhabitants of the town converted to Islam, although the rural population in Malesia e Madhe continued to be mainly Catholic. The communist regime put heavy restrictions on mobility but after the fall of communism in 1991, Koplik town experienced a great influx of new settlers from the countryside.

During the embargo against Yugoslavia during the wars there, Koplik benefited from contraband over the Shkodra lake to Montenegro. After the fall of the pyramid schemes in 1997, Koplik, like most smaller towns in Albania has stayed in economic stagnation and most of the people between the ages fifteen and fifty has left the town to seek work elsewhere.

The inhabitants see the future outside the country, out west, where they can find jobs and send money back home to support their elders.

Although Koplik itself does not have much to offer, the Shkodra lake and the mountainous areas of the Malsia e madhe are beautiful recreational areas. Roads were poor but now they have been built properly. Koplik is about 3 hours drive to Vermosh.

The football (soccer) city club is KS Veleçiku Koplik.

Peqin

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Mosque and clocktower in Peqin