Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Murat Kurum recently met with President Ilir Meta as part of his contacts in Albania's capital, Tirana. A painting on the wall did not escape from the attentions in the meeting. What does the painting behind duo mean? Gökçen Göksal reports from Milli Gazete.
A depiction of the League of Lezhe
WHAT IS THIS LEAGUE OF LEZHE
The painting symbolizes the establishment of the Lezhe League. So what is this Lezha Union?
Kosovo joined the Ottoman Empire in 1389 during the reign of Murat I. After the Ankara War in 1402, the Ottoman Empire weakened and began to move in the Balkans. When the Ottoman entered interregnum (Fetret Era), pro-independence movements and alliances emerged. When the calendars showed 1444, the Albanian and Montenegrin principals came together and decided to unite against the Ottoman Empire. They founded the League of Lezhe. This union was both a political and a military one. In the Lezhe (Alessio), which was dominated by the Republic of Venice, the families of Thopia, Muzaka, Ballsha and Crnojevic, which were the most important principals of the region, were among the founders of this union. Together they already got their name from here. Among the princes who were members of the Lezhe League were Lek Dukagjin, Pjetėr Shpata, Gjergj Ballsha, Karl Thopia, Theodor Muzaka, Stefan Crnojević, Skanderbeg (Gjergj Kastrioti). Albanian Prince of Kruya Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg) was elected commander of the unit. Kastroiti was from the Catholic sect of Christianity. Gjergj Kastrioti is still the national hero of the Albanians today, with sculptures in many places, depicted in numerous paintings. He is seen as the person who defends Christianity against the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
Alexander (Gjergj Kastrioti)'s victory over the Ottoman Empire
CONTINUED TILL ISHKODRA'S CONQUEST
After the establishment of the Union, he faced the Ottoman army in the Torviol Plain in 1444 and defeated the Ottoman army. At the beginning of the Union was Alexander, followed by several victories. In the next two years, the Lezhe League won important battles against the Ottomans. In 1452, the Ottoman army was defeated by the Mokrica and the Lezhe League in Meçadi. Apart from the truce in 1460 and 1463, the Albanian-Ottoman war continued unceasingly. In 1462, Skanderbeg was able to take over Ohrid, an important city. In 1466, the second siege of Kruya was blocked by the Lezhe League. With the death of Skanderbeg in 1468, the Lezhe League began to weaken. The Sodhra, ruled by Venice, continued the struggle against the Ottomans until the conquest of the Ottomans in 1479. When the Shkodra was conquered, the League of Lezhe, the Albanian resistance, ended. This painting, which is located just behind the Turkish Minister Kurum, shows the Lezhe Union which is accepted as the credo of Albanian nationalism and expansionism.
Alexander (Gjergj Kastrioti) depicts the army's command against the Ottoman soldier