ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Albanian cities during the Middle Ages

Okay, imagine you are playing a game of pretend with your friends. You pretend you are living in a big house with many rooms. Now, imagine that instead of a house, it is a whole country called Albania, and instead of just your friends, there are many other kids playing the game with you who live in different parts of Albania.

During the middle ages, which was a really long time ago, these different areas of Albania started to grow into cities. Some of the biggest ones were Shkodra, Durrës, and Kruja. Think of them like big schools or playgrounds where a lot of kids come together to learn and play.

These cities were very important because they had things that other parts of Albania didn't have, like big buildings, fancy markets, and special places where people went to pray. They also had really strong walls around them to keep the people inside safe.

But because there were so many different groups of people in Albania, sometimes the cities didn't get along with each other. Just like how sometimes you and your friends may argue over what game to play or who gets to be the leader, these cities would argue over things like who should be in charge or which religion was the best.

Despite these disagreements, the Albanian cities during the middle ages were still a cool place to live. People had lots of different jobs, like being a blacksmith who made weapons, a farmer who grew crops, or a trader who sold goods from other countries.

So, just like in your game of pretend, the Albanian cities during the middle ages were like big imaginary playgrounds where many people came together to live, work, and play.