Albania adventure part 3 (Krujë)

Krujë

Town with the best history

A view from the tower of Kruja

Krujë is a town and a municipality in north central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km north from the capital of Albania, Tirana.
Krujë was inhabited by the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani. In 1190 Krujë became the capital of the first autonomous Albanian state in the middle ages, the Principality of Arbër. Later it was the capital of the Kingdom of Albania, while in the early 15th century Krujë was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, but then recaptured in 1443 by Skanderbeg, leader of the League of Lezhë, who successfully defended it against three Ottoman sieges until his death in 1468.

The Ottomans took control of the town after the fourth siege in 1478, and incorporated it in their territories. A 1906 local revolt against the Ottoman Empire was followed by the 1912 Declaration of Independence of Albania. In the mid-1910s Krujë was one of the battlefields of the conflict between the short-lived Republic of Central Albania, founded by Essad Toptani, and the Principality of Albania. In 1914 Toptani managed to seize the town but during the same year it was reincorporated by Prênk Bibë Doda in the Principality of Albania. During World War II it was the center of the activities of resistance leader Abaz Kupi.

The museums of Krujë include the Skanderbeg Museum, located in the environs of the Krujë Castle, and the national ethnographic museum.

Museums

 The museums of Krujë include the Skanderbeg museum and the national ethnographic museum. The Skanderbeg museum, founded in 1982, was built in the environs of the Krujë castle. Its collection includes mostly 15th century artifacts related to the Albanian-Ottoman wars, during which the castle was besieged four times by the Ottoman army. The national ethnographic museum of Krujë was founded in 1989 and is located in a 15–6 room villa of the Toptani family built in 1764. The main exhibits of the museum are objects of artisanship, whose age varies from 60 to 500 years.

Skanderbeg Museum

The Skanderbeg Museum in Krujë honors Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbej (1405–1468), the national hero of Albania. The museum is located inside the Krujë Castle and the restored bazaar. The citadel includes a restored house from the Ottoman era that is now the Ethnographic Museum.
The Krujë Castle, which houses the museum, is a historic citadel. Ottoman troops attacked it thrice, in 1450, 1466 and 1467, but failed to take control. It was this impregnable fortress that helped George Kastrioti Skanderbeg defend Albania from the Ottoman invasion for more than two decades.

The museum contains objects dating back to Skanderbeg’s time. The exhibits have been arranged in a way that chronicles his life and military feats. Paintings, armor, and other artifacts dating back to his time have been exhibited to showcase one of the proudest periods of Albanian history. An interesting display is the replica of the hero’s famous goat head-topped helmet, the original of which is on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

History:
 In ancient times the region of Krujë was inhabited by the Illyrian tribe of the Albani, while the town is located near the Iron Age Illyrian site of Zgërdhesh. Some scholars have identified the site with the main settlement of the Albani, Albanopolis, while others identified Albanopolis with Krujë itself.
During the Illyrian Wars the area of Krujë was captured by the Roman Republic.


Early medieval artifacts of Krujë include dress items and weaponry found in fifth- and sixth-century cemeteries, which display the high status and the wealth of the burials. Originally a middle-sized fortress like other urban centers of Krujë expanded to a town probably from the sixth to the ninth century AD. In 1190 Krujë became the capital of the first autonomous Albanian state of the middle ages, the Principality of Arbër founded by Progon of the House of Progon. During the reign of Gulam of Albania the principality was dissolved and incorporated in the newly founded Kingdom of Albania. During the late 13th and early 14h century the Byzantine and in 1343 the Serbian Empire took control of the city. The Kingdom of Albania was eventually dissolved between 1363 and 1368, when Karl Topia captured its capital Durrës and incorporated its territories, including Krujë in 1363 in the Princedom of Albania. After 1389 the House of Thopia gradually lost control of the town, which by 1395 had come under Ottoman vassalage. The Ottomans lost control of Krujë in the early 15th century, when it was captured by Niketa Thopia and regained it in 1415. After its recapture it was incorporated in the Sanjak of Albania and formed an administrative unit with the status of Subaşilik as attested in the regional register of 1431. During the Albanian Revolt of 1432-1436 the city was unsuccessfully besieged by Andrea Thopia.
Until 1432, the subaşi (governor) of Krujë had been Zagan Bey, then Hizir Bey, and later during 1437—1438 Skanderbeg was its governor. In November 1438 Hizir Bey was again appointed as subaşi of Krujë until he was replaced in April 1440 by Umur Bey. On 28 November 1443 Skanderbeg gained control over Krujë by deceiving its subaşi with forged sultan's letter. In 1444 Skanderbeg incorporated it in the League of Lezhë, the confederation of the Albanian principalities.

Tourism:
If you ask if Kruja is worth visiting, visit it if you want to hear impressive history. There is so much to see here, especially the market with souvenirs where you can buy handmade works. Remember the landmarks: Scanderbeg museum and the market with souvenirs.

In case you missed it:

Albania adventure part 1 (introduction)  
Albania adventure part 2 (Berat)

Other parts:


Albania adventure part 4 (Shkoder)
Albania adventure part 5 (Tirana)