On November 3, 1443, George Castriot Scanderbeg returned to his homeland. The General Directorate of Archives commemorates this significant date, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in the centuries-old history of anti-Ottoman resistance.

George Castriot, who referred to himself as the Lord of Arbëria, departed from the battlefield of Nis and led 300 horsemen to Kruja. Upon his arrival, he assumed the role of ruler and revived the Principality of Kastriots.

“I did not bring you freedom; I found it here among you,” our national hero is quoted as saying in “Skëndebeu’s History” by Marin Barleti. He addressed the enthusiastic crowd on November 28, 1443, marking the first time in history when the red and black flag was raised in Kruja.

From that year onward, he remained invincible, leading Albania in a 25-year war against the Ottomans. His name is a proud representation of us in world historiography, serving as a key figure that connects Albanians with the Western and European civilized world.

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