Description of the attraction
Skanderbeg Square is Tirana's main square. It was named so in 1968 in honor of the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg, whose monument is also installed here.
During the Albanian monarchy, the architecture of the square consisted of several buildings that were blown up during the communist period. In the center of the square there was a fountain, which was surrounded by a road, the Old Bazaar was on the site of the modern Palace of Culture, and where the hotel complex is now there was an Orthodox cathedral. On the site of the Skandenberg monument, there was a statue of Joseph Stalin. The city hall was occupied by the National Historical Museum. For some time, it also housed a sculptural image of the leader of Albania, Enver Hoxha, it was demolished in 1991 during student protests.
At one time, the ex-mayor of Tirana Edi Rama took certain steps to give the square a modern European look. Since March 2010, the square has been converted to a pedestrian zone with limited public transport access. The water supply for the new fountain uses rainwater to fill it. During the construction period, new bypass roads around the square were put into operation. The renovation project was funded by Kuwait.
Since September 2011, with the arrival of the new mayor of the city, the previous plan has been revised and changed. Vehicles were returned to the square, bicycle paths were laid. The green parkland south of the Skanderbeg statue was extended to the north by several hundred meters by planting many trees. Now the square houses the Haji Efem Bay Mosque, the Opera House, the National Museum, and government buildings.
