Mangalemi The museum ensemble of the “Mangalem” neighborhood lies in the shape of a semi-arch in the southern and eastern part of the castle hill. This residential complex may have been one of the first to represent the development of the medieval city outside the fortification walls during the century. XV-XVI, thus forming the cemetery area. The unique and original architecture of the houses seems to belong mainly to the construction phase of the century. XVIII-XIX with the combination of stone and wood elements. The compactness of the buildings, their perfect connection with the land where they are located and the more or less the same architectural appearance, make this ensemble one of the most attractive points in the totality of the values of the historical center of Berat. Unlike the other two neighborhoods, “Mangalemi” has a rather uneven terrain and the possibility to realize cheap architectural solutions remains more limited. The apartments are very close to each other and in the vast majority they are of small dimensions. Most of them have no yard and no gardens, as a result, the entrances of the apartments go directly to the alley. In order to utilize every possible area of the terrain for living, the upper floor premises often go out into the alley in the form of a bay window, not obstructing the passage of people down to the cobblestones. A special charm to the architecture of the neighborhood is also given by the presence of a row of shops in the first row, where currently various businesses of the historical center of the city exercise their activity. In most of the tourist literature, for the architectural composition of the ensemble of “Mangalem”,
Address: Berat
