Rural Settlements in Different Stages of Development. Case of Gjirokastra Region in South of Albania

Recent years has been put into scientific circulation rich documentation, in which data is important for rural settlements and their economy. First Ottoman cadastral registers, which have a value first hand, but also for a more extensive documentation which comes out more clearly the face of the Albanian medieval village, the size, the main economic resources, relations with civic centers, economic power of the settlements, the role of agriculture in village life, crops etc.. The size of the settlements and their economy were closely related to each other. Most have been populated hilly South Albania and less western coastal lowlands of Albania and hilly villages in their vicinity. Construction of various settlements of stone was spread rapidly for a period of time. Stone materials were present everywhere and therefore their spread was massive and quite fast. Rural areas are characterized by a landscape architecture built by 2-3 storey residential houses. Typology is varied and reflects the special features of natural, historical, psychological, ethnographic and economic. In the construction of rural settlements have been preserved traditional elements, with special features according to the different areas and historic development. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n2p53