By MAIRE ROWLAND
“This is the only thing that has been donated to me in the entire cafe,” laughs Arber Cepani, the owner of Komiteti, Tirana’s first cafe/museum. He points to a silver encrusted walking rod protected in a glass case. It hails from the 17th century and was gifted to the passionate collector by a family from Shkoder. It seems astonishing that this is the only item that was not collected by Cepani. Komiteti is bursting from the seams with random things from Albania’s past. Tacked to the walls, placed on shelves and lying under tables there are collections of radios, antique plates, china sets, military uniforms, decorative fans, photographs, communist literature, children’s books, telephones, furniture, musical instruments and much more.
One thing that is apparent after dropping by Komiteti, is that one visit here is not enough. There are too many things to try, to see and to appreciate over a solitary afternoon. A former winner of Big Brother Albania and an enthusiastic hoarder, Cepani has spent two years gathering Albanian-made items for his museum. Opening its doors to the public a year ago, he has an impressive collection to interest curious tourists alongside a range of baked goods, fine coffee, teas and raki to entice the Tirana locals.
Most of the items on display come from Albania’s communist era, Komiteti boasts the largest collection of Albanian-made televisions from the period, but this is not a celebration of communism. Cepani is keen to explain that Komiteti is not a political museum. Currently studying for a Masters in Cultural Heritage, he sees the cafe/museum as a social and cultural enterprise, a way to present Albania’s past in an artistic and enjoyable way. During communism Albania experienced its highest level of industry and as a result there are more Albanian-made products to gather and display from this time.
Authenticity is important for Cepani and he strives to bring this to his menu as well as to his collection. Komiteti’s menu attempts to use locally sourced ingredients. With over 25 different types of raki to experiment with, baked goods and mountain tea made with herbs from the Albanian Alps, the cafe offers a unique way to explore the country’s history, foods and traditions.
The friendly staff in Komiteti wear the dark green jacket of the communist civil defence as they serve you. Order a mountain tea in Komiteti and it is presented to you in a dainty floral china tea cup with a classic Albanian Zana sweet along with honey that is locally produced. These tiny details make Komiteti special. Cepani and his staff are committed to offering their customers a memorable experience that they will speak about with their friends, talk about on social media and immediately begin planning for their return visit.
