Gjirokastër Fortress is a historical castle overlooks the city of Gjirokastër, Gjirokastër County, Albania. It was built by Byzantines in the 12th century AD. The castle was restored and expanded in 1812 AD by Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who was an Ottoman Albanian ruler served as pasha of a large part of western Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territories. Gjirokastër Fortress was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 as part of Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra.