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Buragajet Castle, or Castle Burgajet, ( sq, Kalaja e Burgajetit or Kështjella e Burgajetit also known as the Kështjella e Zogollëve or Kështjella e Zogut) was a large fortified house, located in
Burgajet
Burgajet is a settlement in the former Lis, Albania, Municipality of Lis, central Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Mat, Albania, Mat.
Notable people
*Zog of Albania, King Zog of Albania was born in B ...
in the Dibër County
Dibër County (; sq, Qarku i Dibrës) is one of the 12 counties of the Republic of Albania, spanning a surface area of with the capital in Peshkopi. The county borders on the counties of Durrës, Elbasan, Kukës, Lezhë, Tirana and the ...
of Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
History
It was built before 1860 and it was the birthplace, and family seat, of King Zog I of the Albanians and alsoXhemal Pasha Zogu
Xhemal Pasha Zogu (; 1860–1911), also known as Jamal Pasha or Jamal Pasha Zogolli, was the Hereditary Governor of Mati, Albania (at the time part of the Ottoman Empire). He was the father of King Zog I of Albania.
Born at Burgajet Castle, Mati ...
.
Jason Tomes
Jason Tomes is a historian with a doctorate of philosophy.
Personal life
Between the years 1993 and 1995, he taught in Poland at Warsaw University and Adam Mickiewicz University. Since 1996, he has lectured in history and politics at Boston Unive ...
described it thus; "A solid rectangular building with two small wings facing into a courtyard. This was Castle Burgajet, citadel of the chieftain of Mati...the biggest house for miles and the only one with glazed windows. The interior was even more distinctive...Fancy furnishings, imported from Austria, had recently become the hallmark of wealth. Salon chairs, draperies, table-lamps, and bric-a-brac...""King Zog; Self-Made Monarch of Albania, Jason Tomes P. 8,His family were the traditional feudal rulers of the
Mat District
Mat District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 61,906 in 2001, and an area of . It was named after the river Mat, which flows through ...
of Albania and were large landowners.
On ascending the throne, Zog took up residence in a palace in Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
(with a Summer Palace
The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarte ...
in Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...
- see image). This (along with it being looted and set alight by the Yugoslav Army in 1920) was a factor leading to Castle Burgajet falling into ruin.
Before King Zog was forced to flee Albania he had an ambitious plan to rebuild the Castle but this never transpired; during his reign, however, a plaque commemorated his birth there. When asked why he did not rebuild Burgajet, Zog replied "I was too busy rebuilding my country."
The castle was demolished in 1945 and the site of the castle is now marked by several marble stones from the demolished castle.
References