Burrel, Albania

Burrel
Burrel
Coordinates:
Country  Albania
County Dibër County
District Mat District
Government
 • Mayor Adelina Farrici (PS)
Elevation 316 m (1,037 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 12,139
Time zone Central European Time (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 8001
Area code(s) 0217
Car Plates MT

Burrel (Albanian: Burrel or Burreli; alternate forms Burel, Mat) is a city in northern Albania, 91 km from Tirana. It is the centre of the District of Mat.

The city's population is 15,539 (2003; 21st rank in Albania). Burrel is one of the largest districts in Albania. He was a hereditary prince of a large district of Epirus that included Mat. Another famous native of Burrel was Ahmet Zogu, first King of the Albanians (born Ahmet Zogolli, later changed to Ahmet Zogu; October 8, 1895 – April 9, 1961), who reigned as King Zog I from 1928 to 1939. He had previously been a Prime Minister of Albania between 1922 and 1924 and President of Albania between 1925 and 1928.

Burrel used to be a miners' town during Communist Albania, but the mines are currently closed now, with the exception of a ferrochrome plant is still working near Burrel.

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

Contents

Prison of Burrel

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. It was one of the Communist Albania concentration camps. 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 of Albania closed the prison and made it a museum. However in 1997, Sali Berisha re-opened it as an active prison. And at the moment the Prison that was most feared in Enver Hoxhas time it's now on a very bad state. This is a link to the Facebook burrel

Sports

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.

See also

References