For a long time, roughly half-a-century, celebrating a religious festivity was a pure act of rebellion in Albania. Former dictator Enver Hoxha in his attempt to create the homo-sovieticus had banned anything from Christmas to Carnivals. Any challenge to the rule and you could be drop-shipped to the gulags as priority mail.
1 USD = 110,1 ALL [23.09.2019]
The lek is the official currency of Albania. It is subdivided into 100 qindarka (singular qindarkë), although qindarka are no longer issued.
The lek was introduced as the first Albanian currency in February 1926.
Lek (ALL; symbol Lek). Notes are in denominations of Lek5,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of Lek100, 50, 20, 10 and 5.
The Albania culture has Greek, Roman, Italian, Byzantine, Turkish and Slavic influences.
Art - Painting was strongly influenced by Byzantine art between the V and the XV century, although by the end of the early Renaissance, between the XV and XVII centuries, the Italian influence was very strong.