Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania and a UNESCO World Heritage site, described as “a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estate”. The city appears in the historical record dating back in 1336 by the name Argyrokastro, as part of the Byzantine Empire. It became part of the Orthodox Christian diocese of Dryinoupolis and Argyrokastro. It fell under Ottoman rule for the next five centuries (1417-1913), during it went from being an overwhelmingly Christian city in the 16th century into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century.