Skanderbeg: the hero on the square, the back story

About Skanderbeg: the hero on the square, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Every Albanian town has a street named after Skanderbeg, and his helmet with a goat’s head crest is a national symbol. His story explains the flag, the square and the castle you will see at Krujë.

Gjergj Kastrioti

Born into a noble Albanian family in the early 15th century, Gjergj Kastrioti served the Ottoman sultan as a young man and earned the name Iskender Bey, Skanderbeg. In 1443 he returned to Albania, took Krujë and raised his own banner.

Twenty-five years of resistance

From his base at Krujë, Skanderbeg united Albanian lords in the League of Lezhë and withstood Ottoman armies for 25 years, until his death in 1468. Krujë fell some years later.

The double-headed eagle on Albania’s flag comes from Skanderbeg’s banner.

The flag

His red banner with a black double-headed eagle became the flag of independent Albania in 1912.

The square and the statue

The equestrian statue in Tirana’s main square dates from 1968. Since its redesign in 2017, the square is a vast pedestrian space paved with stone from across Albania, ringed by the Palace of Culture, the National Historical Museum, the Et’hem Bey Mosque and the 1930s ministries.

Our advice: see the statue in Tirana, then visit Krujë, an hour away, for the castle, the Skanderbeg Museum and the old bazaar. Look for the goat-crested helmet on souvenirs: it is a replica of his own, now in Vienna.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Skanderbeg: the hero on the square, the back story before you go.