The Hotel Mondial is one of the most modern hotels in Tirana. Hotel was built in 1998 and provides traditional architecture with neoclassical in a very warm atmosphere. This 3 star charming hotel is perfectly located 1 km from the city center and is in the vicinity of the National Bank of Greece and the I.C. Bank. On the eastern side of the square stands the Palace of Culture, the largest cultural building in the country. Its construction was begun in 1960, on the site of capital's old bazaar, and was opened in l966. It has an opera and ballet theatre. The opera and ballet company was formed in 1953, on the basis of the philharmonic (1950). Albania has 7 symphony orchestras, and there are 13 smaller orchestras attached to the variety theatres and more than 40 military bands. The Palace of Culture also contains the National Library, which has more than 860,000 books. The Museum of National History (opened in 1981) is situated on the northern side of the square. The huge mosaic entitled Albania, the largest in the country, symbolizes centuries-old history of the struggle of the Albanian people.