Can you imagine grabbing a cup of coffee in an Ottoman bath that was built more than a century ago? That was the experience of many people… until an earthquake brought the shutters down. Now, this incredible bath house located in Durres, Albania, is finally open for business to the general public.
This bath is also over 200 years old and has survived countless empires, endured the 2019 earthquake, and has now undergone renovations.
The bathhouse is situated on Epidamn Boulevard and can be found close, but was closed off completely after it suffered greatly from the quake. Now, an EU-funded cultural project allocated 32 million lek, introduced renovation and reopening locals and tourists.
This isn’t just some random old building. According to Alban Ramohitaj, the head of the Durres Museum Center, this is some stunning architecture baoone of the most important factors of the cultural history for this region.
As a curiosity, this location has not always appeared to be a time capsule. The earthquakes did not forget about the building and it suffered from neglect afterwards which added it to the list of EU funded restoration projects.
Although the site is now one of just ten remaining Ottoman baths of this type in Albania, the reopening is a major event and the rest of the world is recovering with it. The National Archaeological Museum of Durres, suffered from quake, undergoing restoration past three years, open autumn 2025 during sunset.
Alban noted that the number of tourists is also on the rise this year. So far in 2025, over 10,000 tourists have visited Durres and by the end there are expected to be a lot more.
If you are in search of something to do while in Albania, the newly reopened Ottoman bathhouse is undoubtedly one of the best destinations in the world for people interested in history and architecture.
