(Inspired by our family’s visit to Kruja, a city in north central Albania, in January 2020)
The museum of Gjergj Kastrioti in Kruja, Albania
Up in the rocky mountains of a faraway land called Albania was a castle nestled in the hills, overlooking the lowlands, hamlets, pastures and olive gardens. The endless beautiful blue sea could be seen far on the horizon held in the arms of the blue sky. A nobly family lived there taking care of their lands. The small kingdom belonged to Lord John Kastrioti and his wife Vojsava and their sons and daughters.

Who could ever imagine that one day some strangers would come far from the east all the way up to the Castle to violently take the littles sons of the Kastroti family from their mother’s arms to be sent to the unknown?
Is it a fairy tale or is it a true story?
It is both, even now after many centuries is on my mind as I stand in in front of the Castle as I write to you with a desire to invite you to this fairy tale based on a true story.
I am telling you, dear Reader, the same story I told my children on the way back home, after the visit, on this day of a cold sunny Sunday of January 2020. And the story goes on …
It happened years and centuries ago.
The mountains and the walls of the ruined castle of Kruja are still there to bear witness of the blood and tears of the noble family. The desolation has not yet left the once beautiful lands with their many people.

The Castle and the possessions were grabbed and its people subjected to the new rulers. The Lady of the Castle, their mother, saw her little boys taken away by the strangers to be sent far away to the unknown. This has happened many years and centuries ago. Grief and mourning took over the beautiful Albania for many long years and the foes of the Castle Kruja would never be forgotten.
The Queen Mother had a dream that their boys would come back in all their brightness. And that did happen! The youngest son, the Great George Kastrioti, would come back for revenge for the death of his father. He never forgot what the strangers did to him, to his family and people. He and his small army would come and take the Castle again and stand against the unknown strangers for years and years.

Afterwards he married a beautiful princess. The kingdom was once again happy with their Prince and Princess! They recovered their freedoms, the liberty to rule themselves without a mighty stranger over them, without seeing again their children taken away and sent to unknown empires. He then united noblemen and highlanders around Kruja and also other peoples and regions all the way up to Hungary. Some betrayed him. Some remained faithful and lost their lives before his death. For long years he resisted the big empire of barbarians coming back from unkown faraway lands seeking revenge on their turn.

The end was looming. In the final days of his life he stood alone. His allies had abandoned him. His faithful fighters had died. His bones had been taken from his tomb to be lost for ever! The barbarians did not want him to be remembered for the posterity. His wife and sons left Albania to take refuge in the faraway lands of Spain.
Today, on this day of a cold January Sunday, I am standing in the ruins of this beautiful Albanian medieval castle, thinking of glorious times of the history and the beautiful tragic figure of brave George Kastrioti, while my children tugged my dress while asking all the questions of the world!
What a sad history of a beautiful medieval castle. I suppose that security in those days was very tenuous, and those who had luxury were targets for those who were hungry and poor.
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This is the real story of the life of our national hero Gjergj Kastrioti- Skenderbeu and his family. He was taken by the ottomans when he was a child and trained to be a solder. He later came back to Albania and fought the ottomans until his death in 1468.
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Life must have been so tough in those times. It is lovely that Albanians still honour this man.
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Yes it was. Albania was conquered by ottomans for 500 years after the death of Skenderbeu.
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Beautiful photos and a tragic story
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Thank you 🙂
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the desolation has not yet left…. a good piece of history
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Marsida, e di se Gjergji te ka thene qe ta lexosh blogun 🤣 aty isha 😊. Falemnderit per komentet 😊
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Amazing story, can’t wait to see more of the beautiful Albania.
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🥰🥰
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Very interesting and sad history. It’s good to learn more about Albania’s present and history.
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Thank you
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