In pictures: Why Albania's cuddly toys are special
- Published
In the 1990s many Albanians built homes using money earned in Western Europe. The cuddly toy at the gate is meant to ward off the "evil eye" - a curse inflicted by a neighbour's envious look.
This Donald Duck toy is protecting a building under construction.
The traditional talisman against the evil eye: A ram's horn and garlic bulbs, still seen on some buildings.
Albanians call the talismans "majmune"- meaning "little monkeys", even if the fluffy toy represents a different creature.
A doll protects a vegetable plot: About one in eight Albanian homes sports such a toy.
Often the toys look quite weather-beaten. Mihhail Triboi spotted these in Korce, Gjirokaster, Saranda and Berat.
Bedri Tahiraj, owner of a small hotel in Berat, said this toy was a good luck charm to help drive the business and attract customers. (Photos first appeared on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Russian.)