Mural Tours

Confession of Tirana’s Most Iconic Murals.

Murals are one of the ideas that started a visual transformation of Tirana in the 2000s. Today, they have become a hobby for many Albanian artists who are passionate about abstract drawing, portraits, and characters. Inspired by events of the time and the imagination of the artist, they have given Tirana a fabulous beauty and numerous tourist attractions.

How did mural art start appearing in Tirana?

Mural art began to appear in Tirana between 2000 and 2011. This was a project inspired by the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, who saw Tirana through the eyes of an artist, as he himself is a painter, and took this initiative to change the atmosphere and colours of Tirana, after it had suffered from a lack of colours under communism.

Over time, Tirana has been filled with murals in which Albanian and foreign artists hope to express their creativity. 

When talking about the mural art of Tirana, we can highlight some that are the most special, which are:

“Ismail Kadare Mural“

About the Mural.

This mural conveys a very deep message besides the beauty it adds to the city. It is dedicated to Ismail Kadare as a sign of gratitude and respect for all the good influence he had on Albanian literature and culture. And also as a reminder of the legacy he left behind as the so-called father of Albanian letters.

About the Significant Tribute.

Ismail Kadare was born on January 28, 1936, in Gjirokaster and died on July 1, 2024, in Tirana. He was a politician, a former deputy, but he was best known for his poetry, for the many books he wrote, as he was a very distinguished writer whose novels have been translated into many languages of the world, and from this he also received the title of father of Albanian letters.

About the Artist. 

Maximiliano Bagnasco is a mural artist known for his work that pays tribute to cultural and sporting figures. He is known for his murals of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. He has also participated in the Tirana Mural Art Festival.

Where can you find this mural? 

This mural is located in the former train station of Tirana. The ease of finding this mural has made it one of the most interesting points of Tirana. It is also a place dedicated to those who want to pay attention to the great figure of Ismail Kadare.

“Lionel Messi Mural“

About the Mural.

The mural of Lionel Messi, one of the football legends in Tirana, is a 25-meter-long and 10 meters wide work of art created by the Argentinian artist Maximiliano Bagnasco, known for his drawings. This mural was created during the Tirana Mural Art Fest 2023. This mural was dedicated to Messi because of his impact on the world of sports.

About the Significant Tribute.

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He began his football journey as a child at Newell’s Old Boys, where he showed extraordinary talent and was noticed by many big clubs. He was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at the age of 10, which jeopardised his football career. But FC Barcelona, a Spanish club with an extraordinary history, paid for his treatment because they believed in his talent. Messi joined FC Barcelona at the age of 13 and began an unforgettable journey for all those who had the opportunity to see him play, winning 45 trophies, including individual and collective ones. Messi ended his 21-year journey at Barcelona in 2021 by joining the Paris Saint-Germain team until 2023, and now he currently plays for Inter Miami. Messi has also been part of the Argentine national team with which he has won 1 Copa America and 1 World Cup. In his career he has scored 850 goals and 380 assists. Such a career is difficult to repeat, and such a talent is difficult to come back to, and I think that after his departure, football will feel a great loss, because he is a great example for young Albanians, showing that despite the difficulties that life brings you, if you want to become a become someone in life , you have to sacrifice a lot, suffer a lot, train a lot and believe in yourself no matter the situation because icon like Messi.

Came from the bottom with extreme poverty and reached the top.

Where can you find this mural?

This mural art is located on Dibra Street, a very popular area frequented by tourists. This mural was made on the wall of one of the buildings of the Faculty of Medicine.

“Albania & Kosovo Unity Mural“

About the mural.

This mural was made during Mural Art Fest 2018 by artist Yann Lazzo, who touched on a very important topic for Albanians due to the very close connection that Albania has with Kosovo, and this mural conveys the very important message of homeland, love, and brotherhood for every Albanian and Albanian in Kosovo, as we are part of a nation; we speak the same language, regardless of the evidence that has been used to divide us.

About the artist. 

Yann Lazzo is a French artist known for his dynamic and expressive art, often touching on themes of unity and diversity, making him the ideal artist for this type of mural, as this mural symbolises the historical connection between Albania and Kosovo.

About the Significant Tribute.

The topic that this mural touches is very delicate because this mural brings up a historical connection between Albania and Kosovo because they have always wanted to divide us, to divide us from each other, this has come about because of the greed that many countries have had towards the Albanian nation. This mural also touches on the topic of the Kosovo war against Serbia. During this war, Albania helped Kosovo from the military side by sending armed troops, but even ordinary citizens became part of the war, many Albanians from Kosovo took refuge in Albania. This mural also serves as a memory for all of those who gave their lives for Kosovo and Albania and as an awareness for all that Kosovo and Albania are always together, will be by each other’s side in every situation and no one can separate them.

Where can we find this mural? 

This mural is located on Myslym Shyri Street. This street is a road that connects you to many central parts of Tirana; it is full of shops and beautiful places to spend a pleasant evening.