FLETA DERA E KAPIDANIT Nr. 1-EN
SHKODER, ALBANIA
May 20, 2019
KULLA OF GJON MARKAGJONI
Aerial view of the ruins of the Kulla
Mountains. Green pastures. Blue Sky. Fresh Air. Tranquility. Orosh! I finally made my journey to my father’s place of birth and that of his father’s and all his brothers and sisters. Orosh. It did not disappoint. My whole life I heard stories of battles, courage, strength and endurance of the people of Mirdita and that of my family born and reared in Orosh and now I finally had a chance to walk the same hills, stand on the ruins of the old ‘kulla’, a specific name for ‘tower of strength, that was my family’s seat. The house itself was destroyed a few times over the centuries and finally, in 1945, it was burned down by the communist forces which were taking over the country. It was the only time that it was never rebuilt and so it sits, still in time; the foundation in rumbles, the surrounding wall still, half standing, as a long lost memory of what it once was, what it stood for. I walked the path up the mountain, admiring views of the valley, listening to the rush of fresh water in the creek below, smelling the pine trees and enjoying the stillness that comes with walking through the woods. When we finally reached the property the first thing that struck me was the sight of the remaining wall which surrounded the property. There it stood, a beacon of strength, a symbol of resistance, as though showing the enemies that it cannot be brought down, it cannot be destroyed, waiting for the return of its glory, of its purpose in life; to protect those who live inside it. The house that used to sit on the property was a stone, three story villa, of about 800sqmt, with many rooms and fireplaces, as one would expect due to the extreme winter conditions on the mountain. It was surrounded by cherry trees, other fruit trees, stables for the animals and sheep grazing in the pasture below. It was a heaven. At the time of my grandfather’s ruling over the region of Mirdita, 1925-1944, after the death of his father in 1925, people from all over the world would come visit to pay their respects. He was well known for resolving family feuds.
Bianca sitting on the same hill that her father sat on 85 years ago.
www.gjonmarkagjoni.com
THERE IT STOOD...A SYMBOL OF STRENGHT...A SYMBOL OF RESISTANCE...WAITING... Over a period of a few years he resolved as many as 600 family feuds, which at the time was an extraordinary feat. The name Gjon Markagjoni was recognized all over the world. Dignitaries and their families visited the Kulla. It was a time of peace and prosperity for Mirdita. Then came the red beast. The fight against the insurgence of communism began in the summer of 1944. My father, Ndue Gjon Marku, led the fight of the resistance against the partisans in those very hills from May until October of 1944 with about 300 men. They were ultimately overtaken and had to retreat. The resistance kept up the fight against the enemy forces, then the murder of my uncle, the leader of the resistance, Kapidan Mark Gjon Marku on June 14, 1946 in Perlat, dealt a serious blow to them. He was my father’s older brother. One year later his younger brother Kapidan Sander Gjon Marku was murdered on August 9, 1947 in Munegje, during an ambush. The resistance had lost its battle. By this time the communist forces had entered Orosh, looted and burned down the kulla with everything that was left in it. They destroyed all the stables and anything else which was a reminder of the strength of the people of Mirdita and its leader. Today, 74 years later, the property sits vacant as a reminder of what it once was, of its grandeur and its status in the political world of Albania. The property’s wall is still standing, and although the house’s foundation is not, the remaining stones, which once held it up high above the hills, are laying about. Still. Silently waiting to be raised up once again, to show the world and Albania that the family of Kapidan Gjon Markagjoni was not destroyed. It was not decimated as the regime had hoped. The lineage continued despite all their efforts to destroy it and eradicate it from the face of the earth. The family of Kapidan Gjon Markagjoni is alive and well. His grandchildren are here to tell the story and the truth about what happened to the family. To tell the truth about the history of a dynasty which through the centuries fought many battles against their enemies and ultimately, through all their sacrifices, survived and will survive, despite the forces that tried to suppress it then and are still trying today. It may not be today or tomorrow, but the house in Orosh will see life again and the name Markagjoni will once again be spoken openly, without fear of reprisals. The name will be spoken proudly for what it stood for; honor, dignity, pride, peace, prosperity and above all, love of country! Thank you to my cousin, Artan Lleshi Gjomarkaj, for taking the time to accompany me and Vince to this magical place. I know the trip meant the world to him having been raised and living in the area his whole life. Bianca Gjomarkaj-Nakovics
Remaining wall surrounding the property
Artan Lleshi Gjomarkaj and Bianca Gjomarkaj-Nakovics
CREDITS - CONTACTS Editor: Bianca Gjomarkaj-Nakovics
biancagjomarkaj@gmail.com
Contributor: Artan Lleshi Gjomarkaj artanlleshi@gmail.com
www.gjonmarkagjoni.com