Now, That's a Distinctive Building #133

The Albanian protests to prevent the ecological and historical ruin are continuing, but the outcome is far from certain. The ruling elite are telling the citizenry that they need this development for tourism and jobs and a better standard of living. A rising tide, after all, lifts all boats. However, the people don’t see things the way the government might like. 

For one thing, there is a palpable sense of pride. In the not too distant past, Albania has overcome a Mini-Stalin dictator, a police state, blatant corruption (although there still seems to be plenty) and standing up to facism. We stayed at an Airbnb with a sign out front that said in English, “This house has served as a safehouse for members of the Albanian Anti-Fascist movement during WW2.” 

However, Alabania went to the very distant past to identify a national hero--Gjergi Kastrioti, luckily for me is known as Skanderberg. In the 1420s, the Ottoman Empire was ravaging Europe and Skanderberg, through his almost mythical military prowess, successfully fought off the Ottomans. He united the Albanian principalities and won remarkable military victories. Skanderbeg's exploits became something of a rallying cry during the Cold War and was a source of pride as Albania sought to establish themselves and gain independence. He is seen as the source for national identity and pride. 

So, because symbols like the Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty, and the like are powerful, what did Albania do to recognize this historical figure? A statue? A monument? What?

The picture is taken from Skanderberg Square and one can see the Albanian flag in the foreground and the building in the background is designed to look like Skanderberg. Luckily, the current president doesn’t read my blog so he won’t get the idea to build a building that looks like him. At least not yet.