Skanderbeg Square
Encyclopedia
Skanderbeg Square is a the main plaza of Tirana
, Albania
named in 1968 after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg
. A Skanderbeg Monument
can be found in the plaza.
was erected where today Skanderbeg's statue is located. Besides the construction of the above new elements during communism, the statue of Albania's leader Enver Hoxha
was erected at the space between the National History Museum and the Bank of Albania. Following the fall of communism in 1991, the statue would be removed amid student led demonstrations.
embarked on a plan to modernize
and europeanize
the square. In March 2010, works began to transform the square into a pedestrian
s and public transport only area. A new fountain would use rain water as its water supply, while a two-meter high pyramid would be built and leveled with a 2.5% slope throughout the square. During the construction period, detour
roads have been put in place to gradually establish the new and permanent road in the ring road around the square.
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
named in 1968 after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
. A Skanderbeg Monument
Skanderbeg Monument (Tirana)
The Skanderbeg Monument is a monument located in the Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania.- Overview :The monument in memory of Skanderbeg was erected in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana. This monument was inaugurated in the 1968 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Skanderbeg. The monument to...
can be found in the plaza.
History
At the time of the Albanian monarchy, the square was composed of a number of buildings that would eventually be detonated during the communist period. The square was composed of a roundabout with a fountain in the middle. Tirana's Old Bazaar used to be established on the grounds of modern-day Palace of Culture, the Orthodox Cathedral at present-day Tirana International Hotel, while the former Municipal building on the grounds of where the National History Museum is located nowadays. A statue of Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
was erected where today Skanderbeg's statue is located. Besides the construction of the above new elements during communism, the statue of Albania's leader Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
was erected at the space between the National History Museum and the Bank of Albania. Following the fall of communism in 1991, the statue would be removed amid student led demonstrations.
2010 square reconstruction
Former Tirana mayor Edi RamaEdi Rama
Edi Rama is an Albanian politician, painter, publicist, professor, and former athlete. Currently he is the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania, the biggest party in Albania , by wining the most of votes as a party in the last eight election.He has served as board member at the local Soros...
embarked on a plan to modernize
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
and europeanize
Europeanisation
Europeanisation refers to a number of related phenomena and patterns of change:*The process in which a notionally non-European subject adopts a number of European features...
the square. In March 2010, works began to transform the square into a pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s and public transport only area. A new fountain would use rain water as its water supply, while a two-meter high pyramid would be built and leveled with a 2.5% slope throughout the square. During the construction period, detour
Detour
Detour may refer to:* Detour, a temporary routing to avoid an obstruction-Entertainment:Literature* Detour , a 1939 novel* Detour , an entertainment and fashion magazine published by the Detour Media GroupFilm and television...
roads have been put in place to gradually establish the new and permanent road in the ring road around the square.
New plan
In September 2011 it was decided that the earlier plan will be scrapped. Instead, the use of the square by all motor vehicles will be restored through the construction of a narrower road segment around the center of the square including bicycle lanes. The existing green field south of Skanderbeg's statue will be extended northward for a few hundred meters, while trees will be planted in most places. The entire project is funded by a grant from the State of Kuwait.Notable buildings
- Tirana International HotelTirana International HotelTirana International Hotel is an international hotel located between the central Skanderbeg Square and the Zogu I Boulevard in central Tirana, Albania...
- Palace of Culture of TiranaPalace of Culture of TiranaThe Palace of Culture of Tirana was built on the Pazari i Vjeter area of Tirana by request of the Communist Party of Albania. The first stone of the building was symbolically put by Nikita Khrushchev in 1959. The work was finished in 1963. The architecture is very similar to many communist era...
- National Historical MuseumNational Historical Museum (Albania)The National Historical Museum in Tirana, Albania, is the country's largest museum. It was opened on 28 October 1981 and is 27,000 square metres in size, while 18,000 square metres are available for expositions. The museum was designed by Albanian architect, Enver Faja.The construction of the...
External links
- Presentation of the Former Project of Skanderbeg Square (requires Flash Player)