The Skanderbeg Memorial is located in the heart of the ancient city of Lissus, around which today’s Lezha lies. This memorial was built in 1981 to honor the national hero of Albania and to mark two important events in the country’s history. On the one hand, on March 2, 1444 Skenderbeu convened the Assembly of Lezha where he united all the Albanian princes in the fight against the Ottoman invaders and, on the other hand, the grave site of Skenderbeu, who passed away on January 17, 1468.
In the center of the memorial are the ruins of the Saint Nicola Church, in which the body of Skanderbeg was buried. After the collapse of the Albanian resistance, the Ottoman invaders destroyed the tomb of Skenderbeu and the church was transformed into the Mosque of Selim. In the 80s, a structure with columns was built around the ruins of the church and the bust of Skanderbeg and a series of objects that evoke the Albanian resistance were placed. The memorial was completely restored in 2018 and got the look it has today.
