The images were taken by Petrit Kozeli, then working as a professional photographer in Tirana. Preserved today in their original form, they highlight a city in upheaval — restless crowds in the streets, clashes unfolding, and military vehicles positioned across the capital’s main squares.

Petrit Kozeli’s photographs add further value to the extraordinary photographic collection preserved by the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, enriching an archive that — through thousands of images — has documented key moments in Albania’s history.

Petrit Kozeli has spent more than thirty years in Mantua, where his life took a new turn. Once a photographer in Tirana, he emigrated to Italy and built a career as a master shoemaker. In his workshop, he crafted distinctive shoes decorated with the Albanian and Italian flags — a symbol of coexistence and shared journey. These creations reached Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and Pope Francis, while Kozeli himself was honoured first as Commander of the Italian Republic and later as Commander of the Order of St. Sylvester by Pope Francis.

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