The Ethnographic Museum is located in the Palorto neighborhood. The late dictator Enver Hoxha claimed he was born in 1908 in the house upon the ruins of which the actual building was raised in 1964-1966. Up to today there is no evidence to prove this fact.
The house was rebuilt as a model of the wealthiest Gjirokastra houses. From 1966 to 1991 the building served as the Antifascist Museum. According to local sources, Enver Hoxha’s original home was one floor and a chimney, compared to the adjacent Skendulaj house. The new house copied elements from the city’s finest homes, and even many objects were taken from them. Although identified as the dictator’s home, inside he finds nothing to do with his life or his family’s belongings. Even the décor of the house has been copied from other beautiful houses of the 19th century and the objects (relicts) represent the way rich people in Gjirokastra lived in the 19th century. The building has 4 floors all open to the public.
