Qeleshe Felt Craft

The qeleshe, or plis, is a brimless white cap of felted wool worn by men across Albania and by Albanians in the surrounding countries, with regional variations in height and shape that once identified where the wearer came from: taller and more conical in the north, flatter in the south and in Kosovo. It is made without weaving, by felting raw wool with heat, water and pressure until the fibres mat, then shaping it over a wooden form and trimming, a process that takes hours and is done by hand in a small number of remaining workshops. Kruja is the main place to see and buy them. It is one of the older continuously worn items of dress in Europe and is still worn daily by older men in the countryside.

What you actually see

• Wool felted without weaving - matted by heat, water and pressure.
• Shaping over wooden forms - the block the cap is worked on.
• Regional shapes - taller in the north, flatter in the south.
• Daily wear in the countryside - the cap still worn by older men.

When to go

Year round. One hour to find a workshop and watch. Kruja bazaar has the best selection. Workshops keep ordinary working hours and are closed on Sundays.

Honest expectations

Working makers are few and finding one takes asking; most bazaar stock is factory-made. Watching the process is not a set-up demonstration and depends on the maker's willingness. It is a single small object and the visit is brief.

Nearby

Kruja bazaar is the main selling point; Tirana lies south-east.