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Gjirokastra becomes "tourists' choice" for 2024 on Tripadvisor

2024-08-15 07:36:00, Kulturë CNA

Gjirokastra

Maybe there is no sea like a good part of the destinations that see crowds every summer, but Gjirokastra has enough stone houses, the Castle and the Market to get all the attention it needs throughout the year.

As it happened in 2023, this year too this city has received the "traveler's choice" award, which according to Tripadvisor is an award given to accommodation structures, tourist spots and restaurants that consistently win awards. highly rated by visitors and ranked within the top 10 percent of properties on Tripadvisor.

Gjirokastra Castle is one of the points that has been positively evaluated by visitors.

"If you want to learn the history of Gjirokastra, go to the Castle" says a visitor who rates this experience with 5 stars. According to him, the castle is the biggest attraction in the city and there you will learn everything you want to know about the history of the castle.

"The entrance to this castle is 400 lek and it's worth it," says the vacationer from North Macedonia, according to an assessment made in July.

An August rating of 5 stars underlines that the castle is fascinating and so is the guide. While another evaluates this experience as interesting. In total, Gjirokastra castle has 943 ratings with an average of 4.5 out of 5.

The city bazaar, on the other hand, has 272 ratings with an average of 4 out of 5. "Despite the hot day, walking in the city's cobbled streets was pleasant," says a tourist who visited in July 2024.

Listed one after the other, the best things to do in the stone city are firstly a visit to the castle, secondly the Skenduli house unique to the local architecture in the 19th century. Then comes the house of Zakates, a visit to the Bazaar or a horseback riding in the highlands of the area.

August 15 is the culmination of St. Mary's Day celebrations, celebrated by Christian believers as the day St. Mary was united to her son.

When it pleased Christ our God to take His mother to Himself, He sent an angel (according to some, this is the Archangel Gabriel, just as on the day of the Annunciation. This event is supposed to have happened about 11 years after the resurrection of Christ, when The Holy One was at the age of 59), 3 days before to give him this news. When he approached her, the angel said to Hirplota: "This is what your Son declares: The time has come for me to take you to Myself, my Mother.

Do not be troubled by this news, but rather rejoice, because you will go to eternal life". The Mother of God received these words with joy and, with a burning desire to go to her Son, went to the Mount of Olives to pray in silence, as she often did.

A strange miracle happened: the moment the Holy One arrived at the top of the hill, the trees planted around bent their branches, honoring and praising the Mother of the whole world. After praying, she returned home to Mount Zion (according to many authors, Saint Mary resided in the house of Saint John the Theologian in Zion).

After returning home, everything shook. The whole house lit up and, praising God, called her parents and neighbors. He arranged everything, including the death bed, and ordered everything that was necessary for the burial to be prepared.

He gave the news of his departure to heaven to the women who had come, and as proof he showed the palm branch that the angel had given him, as a symbol of the victory of incorruption. The people received this news with tears and lamentation, begging the Most Holy to not leave them orphans, but she reassured them saying that even in heaven she would pray for them.

With these words, the women stopped their tears and sped up their preparations. In addition, the mother of God gave the two widows who accompanied her, her only two garments. Suddenly, the house shook with a noise like thunder and was filled with clouds, which brought the apostles from all the ends of the earth. The whole Church was mystically present through the apostles to celebrate the burial of the Mother of God. With tears in their eyes, they said to the Mother of God: "If you would stay in the world and live among us, we would have a great consolation, O Queen, it would be like seeing your Son and our Lord.

But since it is now according to His will, you will ascend to Heaven, while we will mourn and weep as now. But we rejoice in all that is in store for you." Saint Mary answered: "O disciples and friends of my Son and God, do not turn my joy into sadness, but bury my body and keep it in the position in which I will lie on my deathbed." At these words, the chosen vessel, the apostle Pavli, arrived in the country.

He fell at the feet of the All-Holy One to honor him and directed these words of praise: "Rejoice, Mother of Life, the purpose of my sermon, because, although I did not see Christ in the flesh at all, looking at you, I believe that you are contemplating Him Himself" . After saying the last greetings, the Holy One lay on her deathbed, addressed fervent prayers to her Son for the preservation and peace of the world. Then she blessed the apostles and hierarchs (who accompanied the apostles) and gave her soul, white and brighter than light, into the hands of the Son of her God, who appeared to her accompanied by the archangel Michael and the angelic powers.

Her sleep took place without suffering and anxiety, as did the birth. Petroja, the corypheus of the apostles, sang the funeral hymn and the companions raised the body and, with torches and hymns, accompanied the procession together with St. John the Theologian, who stood at the head and held the palm of glory. They heard the angels, who united their voice with that of the people, and it seemed as if the earth and the sky were filled with praise in honor of the Most Holy. The air was purified by the ascension of her soul to heaven, the earth was sanctified by her body, and many sick people were healed.

Not being able to bear this event, the leaders of the Jews urged the people of the people to go and tear down the body of the Mother of God. But divine justice punished their evil plan, and therefore all were blinded. One of them, the priest Jephonias, the bravest, who attempted to touch the holy bed, had both hands cut off by the sword of divine wrath, and his arms were left hanging on the bed. Repentant of this punishment, Jefonia believed with all her heart and by Peter's word she was healed and became one of their companions. He put the palm branch, which was given to the Mother of God, over the eyes of his companions and healed them of spiritual and physical blindness.

The apostles buried the body of the Most Holy Mary in the garden of Gethsemane and stayed there for three days, where their prayers were accompanied by angelic hymns.

But one of the apostles (according to some, Thomas) was not with them at the burial and arrived in Gethsemane on the third day and could not be consoled that he could not see the holy body of the Mother of God for the last time. Thus, with the consent of the other apostles, they decided to open the tomb and venerate the body. As soon as the stone was removed, everyone was surprised because the body was no longer there and the cloth was empty.

It was a testimony that the Mother of God had ascended to heaven, to her Son, that is, that she had resurrected and her body had reunited in heaven with her soul. Mary, "the daughter of Adam," but who truly became the "Mother of God" and the "Mother of Life" by giving birth to Him who is true Life, passes through death.

But her death is not a loss, because, with the resurrection of Christ, who voluntarily gave himself to death for our salvation, Adam's punishment became "life-giving death" and the source of new life. Thus, the tomb of Gethsemane appeared as a "bridal chamber", where the incorruptible wedding took place.

Her pure soul, when it was separated from the body, was united with the divine Light, and the body, after a short stay on earth, was resurrected by the grace of the resurrected Christ. This spiritual body was received in heaven as the temple of the God-Man, as the throne of God.

Therefore, her ascension to heaven is the cause of joy for all believers who have received the guarantee that in her person the whole human nature becomes a bearer of Christ and is called to dwell with God.

It is said that, during the burial, the apostles gathered for a fraternal lunch and placed a triangular piece of bread in Christ's place. But, at the moment when they called the name of Christ, as they used to do, they heard the Holy One from above in heaven saying: "Rejoice, because I will be with you until the last days of my life." Rejoicing, the apostles cried out together with one voice: "All Saints, Mother of God, save us!"

Therefore, this is the origin of the service of the Ascension of the Most Holy, which is celebrated in monasteries after lunch, on holidays./ Monitor magazine.