My mother has descended upon Tirana for her birthday and as she doesn’t particularly like the idea of long car journeys, I had to find somewhere nearby that would keep her entertained. My boyfriend suggested the town of Kruje, just north of Tirana, so we are heading there for a day and a night to explore, relax, and enjoy.
Kruje is a town and municipality that is located just between Mount Kruje and the Ishem River. Only 20km from Tirana, it is about 1 hours drive through the Tirana basin and up into the mountains.
Originally inhabited by the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani, in 1190 Kruje became the very first capital of the first autonomous state- the Principality of Arber. Later it became the capital of the Kingdom of Albania, and in the early 15th century it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Then in 1443, it was recaptured by the Albanian national hero, Skanderberg, the leader of the League of Lezhe, who bravely defended it against three Ottoman-led sieges until his death in 1468.
Then, seizing the opportunity that Skanderbergs death left, the Ottomans took back control after the fourth siege in 1478 and incorporated it into their empire. It remained in Ottoman hands until a local revolt in 1906, followed by the Declaration of Independence of Albania in 1912. During the mid-1910s, Kruje became one of the frontier battlefields in the conflict between the Republic of Central Albania, founded by Essad Toptani, and the Principality of Albania. In 1914, Toptani was successful in seizing the town, but in the same year, it was reincorporated by Prenk Bibe Doda into the Principality. During WWII which ravaged parts of the country, Kruje was the stronghold of the resistance leader Abaz Kupi.
The name “Kruje” comes from the Albanian word kroi which means “fountain” and it was mentioned for the first time in a 7th century Byzantine document as “Kroai”. In medieval Latin, it was referred to as Croya, and during the Ottoman rule it was also known as Ak Hisar or Akcahisar from the Turkish words meaning “white” and “castle”.
Many years ago, the town was home to a site that was used for pagan rituals but after the spread of Christianity, a church dedicated to St Alexander was built on the mountainside. In the early 10th Century, Kruje had an Eastern Orthodox bishop and the Roman Catholic bishopric of Kruje was established in 1167. In 1283, the Byzantine Empire removed the Catholic bishop, as did Stefan Uros II Milutin in 1317. In the early part of the 18th century, Bektashi Islam was introduced and in 1789 the Dollma tekke was built near the castle.
Nowadays, the municipality of Kruje is home to some 59,000 people, as well as being popular with tourists who come to soak up the history of its fascinating past. Kurje is home to a selection of museums, most notably the Skanderberg Museum and the National Ethnographic Museum. The Skanderberg museum was founded in 1982 and sits within the walls of the old castle. It contains collections including a large selection of artifacts that are related to the Albanian-Ottoman wars and the four sieges that the castle was besieged by. The Ethnographic Museum was founded in 1989 and is located in several rooms of the Toptani family villa- the main exhibits include a range of artisan objects ageing from 60 to 500 years old.
Asides from museums, castles, and places of worship, I have been reliably informed that there are several rather good restaurants in Kruje, as well as lots of nice views and photo opportunities. I am really looking forward to visiting a place that has so much history as well as playing such a big part in Albanian history, both at the time of Skanderberg, and during the Second World War. Bring it on!
Follow The Balkanista!
