A beatiful cover from Albania, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2010 celebrating the town of Berat, an UNESCO site that comprises also the town of Gjirokastra. Berat and Gjirokastër are inscribed as rare examples of an architecture typical of the Ottoman period. Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area has many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built in the 15th century. Gjirokastër features a series of two-storey houses which were built in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque, and two churches of the same period. Gjirokastër was originally listed individually in 2005, Berat was added to the site in 2008.
