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