Skanderbeg Memorial – London, England - Atlas Obscura
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Skanderbeg Memorial

London, England

The bust of a 15th-century Albanian leader in the middle of London. 

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Bust of Skanderbeg Des Blenkinsopp / CC BY-SA 2.0
Bust of Skanderbeg Des Blenkinsopp / CC BY-SA 2.0
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In the middle of London’s Bayswater neighborhood, you’ll find a memorial to George Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian noble who fought for independence against the Ottoman Empire.

Born to an Albanian noble family, George Kastrioti was sent as a hostage to the Ottoman court at a young age and spent 20 years in the service of Sultan Murad II. During that time, the Ottoman Turks gave him the name Iskander, after Alexander the Great. In 1443, he abandoned Turkish service and returned to Albania forces in the fight against attacks from the Ottoman Empire.

As deserving as Skanderbeg is for memorializing, it’s not clear why he’s honored in this particular corner of London. The memorial was installed as part of the City of Sculpture initiative created by the City of Westminster, the borough of London to which Bayswater belongs. It was unveiled in 2012, on the 100th anniversary of modern Albania’s independence.

The memorial can be found at the corner of Inverness Terrace and Porchester Gardens.

busts statues history & culture
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