Equestrian Statue of Skanderbeg

The Equestrian Statue of Skanderbeg is the centrepiece of the square that carries his name, showing Gjergj Kastrioti, the fifteenth-century nobleman who led the…The Equestrian Statue of Skanderbeg is the centrepiece of the square that carries his name, showing Gjergj Kastrioti, the fifteenth-century nobleman who led the resistance to the Ottoman advance, mounted and helmeted above the paving. It was unveiled in 1968, five hundred years after he died, the work of a team of Albanian sculptors.

For a visitor it is the fixed point of the centre: the Et'hem Bey Mosque and the clock tower stand behind it, the National History Museum's mosaic facade across the paving, and the opera house to one side. Most walking tours start here, and it is the easiest meeting place in the city to explain to a taxi driver.