Why a Booktrail?
1400s: an unforgettable account of the clash of two great civilisations.
The Siege
What you need to know before your trail
As winter falls away, the people of Albania know that their fate is sealed. They have refused to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire, and war is now inevitable.
Soon enough dust kicked up by Turkish horses is spotted from a citadel. Brightly coloured banners, hastily constructed minarets and tens of thousands of men fill the plain below. From this moment on, the world is waiting to hear that the fortress has fallen.
The Siege tells the enthralling story of the weeks and months that follow
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
Albania
This was a book originally written in 1970 in Albania just after the Soviets had put down the Prague uprising in Czechoslovakia. It’s a story of how one country can invade another and looks at the reactions and courage of those whose homes and lives were changed for ever.
Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg defended Albania against the Ottoman’s
Skanderbeg was promoted as a national hero and the central square in the capital is named after him
Krujë castle
At the time of the Ottoman threat, it was the headquarters of Gjergj Kastrioti, the “Dragon of Albania,”
Men here fought off multiple attacks from the Turks. They might have conquered elsewhere but this little castle stood firm.
This is a tale of hostility on every level. Albania was once conquered and ruled by the Ottoman Empire and so the political and social landscapes were changed for ever. The cultural landscape changed too.
As the translator himself notes:
“The miracle is that this exotic tale , translated twice over from an obscure Balkan tongue and dealing with a far-off and largely forgotten past, echoes on everu page with the clashes and issues which burden us today”
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Siege
Destination : Albania, Turkey Author/Guide: Ismail Kadare Departure Time: 1400s
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