7. Skanderbeg monument

Skanderbeg Monument is located 30 meters facing Ibrahim Rugova Monument.

Shortly after the last war, a wide reconstruction program took place in Prishtina. It included the Skanderbeg square where since 2001 is situated the homonymous statue of the Albanian national hero. The statue was brought to Pristina from Krujë, a region in north-central Albania and depicts Skanderbeg mounted holding his sword out of the sheath pointing on the ground. In the same square are hosted three other very important figures of Kosovo history: Ibrahim’s Rugova, Zahir’s Pajahiti, and Mother Teresa's memorials. Mounted Skanderberg’s statues are also located in Tirana, Skopje, Ulqin, Vienna, Geneva, Rome, etc.

George Kastriotis was born in 1405 and was given as hostage to Sultan Murad II. He was converted to Islam, given the name Iskander (means Alexander, Skanderberg in Albanian) and fought on behalf of the Sultan’s forces. Soon he abandoned his position and organized a league of Albanians that resisted against the Ottoman invasion in the Balkans. He became well known for his courage and victories against Ottomans even in Western Europe, and was nominated as a national hero for the Albanian people. This is the reason why he is still considered a great example of heroism and a symbol of independence against all former and future enemies.

In 1968, the 1st Skanderbeg statue was erected in Tirana, while in 2001 another one followed in Pristina’s homonymous square. For the Albanians, it was a matter of time for another statue to be erected, in Skopje, which is considered as the 3rd ‘’Albanian Balkan’’ country. The choice of Skanderberg wasn’t by accident, it was clear that they wanted to celebrate their common historic past, the shared values, and identity. Recognizing the importance of their national hero, they expressed their intentions for ideological unification with the same ethnicity neighbors. Nevertheless, even though the bonds between the Kosovo Albanians and Albanians from Northern Macedonia are close, the second feel that their contribution to Kosovo's independence efforts is underappreciated.