Tirana is the capital city of the Republic of
Albania, with a population of about 300,000.
Tirana was founded in 1614 by the Turk Sulejman Pasha Bargjini and was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Soon after (1913) was conquered by the Serb Army during the First Balkan war. In 1920, it officially became the capital of Albania (formerly located in Lushje).
During World War II, Tirana was again invaded by the Italian Army in 1939 and was liberated by its (by now German) invaders in 1944.
After the end of World War II, Tirana underwent heavy urbanisation (its population stood at 25,000 in 1938).