Bunk’Art

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12/10/2023

Enver Hoxha had a plan for 207,000 bunkers to be built. 168,000 were constructed. Just north of Tirana is the large bunker built for Hoxha’s government.

106 rooms over 5 floors. The concept came from a visit to N Korea in 1964. Built from 1972 and ready by ’78. Enver Hoxha participated in two practice runs, but never stayed. Quite who did he think he would rule after a nuclear or chemical attack?

Main entrance. The top floor is over 1m reinforced concrete designed to withstand chemical and nuclear attack.
Several doors
Decontamination showers
Hoxha’s 3 room suite decorated with wall coverings and comfy furniture
A large cinema / assembly room to hold the government ministers.
Long corridors, with mostly empty rooms
Wide stairways
Hoxha was obsessed with military attack by Anglo / American imperialists or Russians, so his most important bunkers could withstand chemical and nuclear attack. The whole population was trained in self defence and in the use of gas masks.

 

More palaces on the drive south. Ugly pretentious places, housing casino, restaurant and accommodation.

We drove on to Gjirokaster for 2 nights.

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