The symbolic tomb
At the centre of the memorial.
Arianit Dobroshi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Skanderbeg Memorial is a national site in the town of Lezhë dedicated to George Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero who died here on 17 January 1468 and was buried in the town. It is a short stop, but an important one for anyone wanting to understand the country's history. The site holds layers of history. The Cathedral of St Nicholas was thought to have stood here, on 3rd-century foundations. A mosque followed in the 1580s, was abandoned and then rebuilt by Sultan Selim III in the late 18th century. Its minaret fell in the 1979 earthquake, and during the town's reconstruction the foundations were turned into the present monument, finished around 1981. The memorial is a modern columned structure with a glass roof sheltering the old stone walls, with a symbolic tomb at its centre and the Albanian flag on display. Excavations from 1968 revealed 3rd-century pagan foundations and 6th-century Christian baptisteries. Historians have questioned some claims about the church's identity, and the matter remains debated. It stands in the town centre, 600 m in a straight line from Lezhë Castle. The visit is short, about a quarter of an hour, so combine it with the castle. Treat the place with respect as an important national symbol for Albanians. There are few services at the site itself, but cafes are close by in the centre.
At the centre of the memorial.
Layers beneath the modern roof.
Over the old stone walls.
Central Lezhë, northern Albania
George Kastrioti, the Albanian national hero, who died in Lezhë in 1468.
He was buried in the town, but historians debate the church's identity here, and the memorial tomb is symbolic.
