Editing Pogradec (section)

== History ==

[[File:PogradecStrand.JPG|thumb|left|Beach of Pogradec]]

From the 8th until the 14th century, Pogradec area was captured by various medieval states such as the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Serbian Empire|Serbian]] Empires as well as by noble Albanian families such as [[Gropa family|Gropa]]. It was most likely during the Bulgarian empires rule in Pogradec is when it gained its modern name. In the middle of 15th century the area became part of the [[League of Lezhë]] and after [[Skanderbeg|Skanderbeg's]] death in 1468, it was invaded by the [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]] who kept it until [[Independence Day (Albania)|Albania's Independence in 1912]]. During their occupation Pogradec was the center of the [[kaza]] of Starova and was developed as a small town of craftsmen and fishermen. When the Turkish traveler [[Evliya Çelebi|Evliya Celebi]] visited the area in 1662 he wrote that "''Pogradec was a sweet city with red roofs, four neighborhoods, four mosques, two elementary schools, six hundred houses and one hundred and fifty shops''".

During the second half of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, Pogradec area played an important role in the [[Albanian National Awakening|Albanian National Renaissance]]. In 14 March 1887 the second Albanian language school was started here.
[[File:Pogradec, Lake Ohrid - Albania.jpg|thumb|left|Pogradec along Lake Ohrid]]

During [[World War I|WWI]] Pogradec became a battlefield divided between the enemy fronts. From 1914 until 1920 [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]], [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbian]], Greek, Bulgarian and French armies, captured the city replacing each-other from time to time.

During [[World War II|WWII]] the city was first invaded by the Italian army in 12 April 1939. Italian occupation of Pogradec was interrupted due to [[Greco-Italian War]] and Greek troops [[Battle of Pogradec|occupied]] the city between 30 November 1940 and 14 April 1941. After Italy's [[capitulation (surrender)|capitulation]] in 1943 it was liberated by the [[National Liberation Movement (Albania)|Albanian partisans]].

After the war the town was a favorite summer escape for many communist government officials and particularly [[Enver Hoxha]]. The summer residences and the area around them were sealed off from the public.