In keeping with the promise I made to myself, I have just returned from a short trip to Albania with my sister and niece. When others asked, “Why Albania?” my reply was that I wanted to go to a place which none of us had visited before and was also within our budget. It turned out to be such a great experience that I can confidently say that Albania as a tourist destination is perhaps too easily overlooked and definitely underrated.
The country’s multi-layered history is palpable wherever you go. The most obvoius of these are the Communist and Ottoman eras which have their physical manifestations on the country’s landscape. In terms of ascetic beauty, they could not be more diametrically opposed. The brutal and bleak structures of the Cold War period are often juxtaposed with the awe-inspiring and beautiful Islamic edifices. Given this land has only recently emerged from the clutches of communism (in 1992), it’s not surprising that so much of that period’s architecture remains. And even though many mosques may have been deliberately destroyed at that time, the remaining Ottoman structures bear testimony to a deeply-entrenched Muslim presence over many centuries.
I often found myself having to remind myself that I was still in Europe proper – that I was not in an Asian country where 60% of the people happen to be Muslim and minarets of mosques still testify to the presence of Islam there. It was quite surreal. It was evident that years of communist rule had successfully managed to divest the people of their Muslim identity and heritage. However, I was also convinced that despite this, there were locals who still claim their Muslim heritage today. They may not be deeply imbued with Islamic etiquettes or knowledge, but even that tenuous link is a link that can’t be ignored. I am hopeful that perhaps in a generation or two, there will be a resurgence of Islam in Albania and people will awaken to the fact that history has robbed them of their true identity. The soon-to-be-opened Namazgah Mosque in the capital city, Tirana, modelled on the classic Ottoman design, is testimony that Islam is still alive in this country.
Like in Malaga, where I felt there was a sense of family and community, Tirana, and the other towns we visited, seemed to present the same vibe. No doubt there are the youths who are preoccupied in pursuing their selfish, hedonistic lifestyle but we met with a few individuals who also represented a population committed to family values and loyalties. That was very comforting to see. It’s something I feel is severely lacking the more westwards a person travels; in those places, life becomes a self-absorbed mission where success is measured in salaries and material possessions and life’s sole purpose is to experience self-gratification.
It seems the more I travel, the more I become detached from what I would identify as ‘home’. I have travelled and lived in enough countries to know I could easily swap a place of bricks and mortar for another. I am not suggesting that a short holiday in another country means that I now wish to live in that place. I am not that naive. However, seeing how things can be done differently, reaffirms to me that something is missing here in the UK. Admittedly, home is where family is. For now, that would be in England. And yet there is a part of me that would happily up sticks and start somewhere anew – a place where there is a soul to the community.
In my life, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the experience of living in three very different countries besides England. The profundity of the impact each of those experiences has had on me is something I have only recently come to understand. I am truly grateful for them all – even the less savoury ones. Being a philosophical person, I have learnt to embrace the negative encounters and scrapes in life as these have been just as important in shaping the person I am today. None of them have been a waste.
RIght now, I look forward to seeing a bit more of the world. I don’t believe in a ‘bucket list’ just for the sake of bragging that I have stepped foot in yet another country. I am searching for deeper encounters with people and cultures which will reaffirm my faith in humanity. Alhamdulillah, for the ones I have had already. Insha’Allah there are still a few more yet to be enjoyed.
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