Half day tour to Gjin Aleksi Mosque and the abandoned village of Kamenica

Tour Itinerary

Guided visit to the Gjin Aleksi Mosque

In the hinterland of Saranda, within the municipality of Delvina, there is the small village of Rusan. This village is known by Albanians of Islamic faith, 60% of Albanians adhere to Islam. But also the other Albania Muslim people present in the Balkans know the wonderful religious complexity of Gjin Aleksi. The name also tells part of its history: Gjin Aleksi was called to celebrate the conversion of a Christian named Alexis to Islam.

You will leave at 9 am from Saranda, and you will reach the Delvina area in less than 30 minutes. Here the presence of the Ottomans has always been strong and, starting in the 1500s, many Christian churches have been razed to the ground (to make room for the new) or converted into mosques. This is the case of Gjin Aleksi, the mosque located on a hill that you will visit with in the morning. From the outside, the building is appreciated for its simplicity. Surrounded by centuries-old trees, the structure recalls that of a Romanesque-style basilica, with natural stone bricks, without paint. The same bricks with which the minaret is also built. The monumental complex includes a fountain for ritual ablutions and four hexagonal funeral monuments, topped with domes. Inside the mosque you enter a sacred dimension, where spirituality is conveyed by a particular environment in terms of acoustics. Through a special feature, natural sound boxes strategically placed in the walls, the acoustics make the experience of prayer in this environment truly unique.

Guided visit to the Gjin Aleksi Mosque

You will set off again following the profile of the mountains. Our destination is the medieval village of Kamenica, located at the foot of the Mali i Gjere mountain range, whose highest peak reaches 1,800 meters above sea level. In these parts there is a real hidden gem of Albania's most secret places. We are talking about the village of Kamenica, an ancient settlement whose construction dates back to the mid-1400s. Let's be careful, this is not a small outpost of shepherds and farmers of the time, but you will be dealing with what was the main inhabited area of ​​the region at the time.The 267 families lived in Kamenica, who lived in different buildings and attended numerous churches whose remains still appear well preserved today. Just the excellent level of conservation makes the site unique. In Albania it is easy to find remains of ancient abandoned villages, but here you will face a unicum.

•Due the moderate amount of walking to reach the main attraction sites could be better to wear comfortable shoes and clothes

•We suggest this tour to customers who are able to climb and descend streets and stairs.. 

•This tour is not suitable for customers in wheelchair. 

•In case of hot weather we suggest you to bring a cap with you

•Reach the meeting point 15 minutes before the departure time.