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Shkruar nga Reanna Smith
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are planning to transform Sazan into a luxury resort as Albania becomes an increasingly popular holiday destination, but the small island has a dark past...
Sazan Island, located off the coast of Albania's isolated Karaburun Peninsula, is one of Europe's most enigmatic and lesser-known destinations. But that's about to change.
Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are spending over $1 billion on this tiny Albanian island, one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean. The couple have plans to transform it into a luxury resort as Albania emerges as a new tourist destination.
The 1,400-acre island, now known as Trump Island or Trump Island by locals, has a dark military history and is littered with unexploded ordnance. Located at the entrance to the Bay of Vlora, in the Strait of Otranto that separates Italy from Albania, Sazani was once a strategic submarine and chemical weapons base for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The island was an essential part of Albania's military defense. For years, soldiers stationed on the island were on high alert for an attack by NATO or Warsaw Pact members.
By the 1970s, about 150 military families lived on a military base on the island, complete with living quarters, a theater, a school, and a hospital. The island's network of bunkers and underground tunnels, designed to withstand nuclear attacks, remains hidden beneath its rugged terrain.
Skull and crossbones signs scattered across the island serve as a grim reminder of the landmines. Approximately 3,600 abandoned bunkers are scattered throughout Sazan.
Some of them will reportedly be preserved and incorporated into Kushner and Trump's real estate venture. The couple will also have to clear many areas of unexploded ordnance.
Currently, the Albanian armed forces control the island, with three sailors on patrol duty. In the summer of 2017, a small part of the island was officially opened to tourists.
For the first time, visitors could explore its pristine beaches, abandoned military structures, and chilling relics of the Cold War. Despite its turbulent history, Sazan Island is a paradise for nature enthusiasts.
The island is surrounded by crystal clear waters, rocky cliffs and secluded bays that offer stunning views of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Soon, it could be filled with luxury travelers.
Speaking on the Lex Friedman podcast in July 2024, Ivanka revealed her plans for Sazan. "I'm working with my husband, we have this 1,400-acre island in the Mediterranean, and we're bringing in the best architects and the best brands," she said.
"It's going to be incredible," she added. In an interview with The Guardian that same month, Kushner expressed his vision "to create the ideal resort where I would want to be with my family and friends."
He said he was completely amazed when he first saw the island in 2021. "I was very surprised that something like this existed in the middle of the Mediterranean and had not been developed," he recalled.
On December 30, 2024, the Albanian Government gave preliminary approval to the Trump and Kushner project, granting strategic investor status to Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC, a company associated with Donald Trump's son-in-law.
"The projected investment of the 'Sazani Island Tourist Resort' of 1.4 billion euros meets the criteria provided for in the legislation for strategic investments," the government's decision to grant the status stated.
"The envisaged investment meets the criteria for the number of jobs, as required by the legislation on strategic investments. During the development and operational part of the investment, the employment of 1,000 people is envisaged," the decision further stated. / Pamphlet adapted from The Mirror /
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