''Mother Albania'' () is a 12 m

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

located at the

National Martyrs Cemetery of Albania The National Martyrs Cemetery of Albania ( sq, Varrezat e Dëshmorëve të Kombit) is the largest cemetery in Albania, located on a hill overlooking Tirana. The Mother Albania statue is located at the Cemetery. It figuratively represents the co ...

( sq, Dëshmorët e Kombit) in

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 ...

, dedicated in 1971. The statue represents the country as a mother guarding over the eternal slumber of those who gave their lives for her. There are up to 28,000 graves of Albanian partisans in the cemetery, all of whom perished during World War II. The massive statue holds a wreath of laurels and a

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

. The cemetery was also the resting place of former leader

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...

, who was subsequently disinterred and given a more humble grave in another public cemetery. The statue is made of concrete and it is a work of the sculptors

Kristaq Rama Kristaq Rama (193230 July 1998) was an Albanian sculptor, art educator and a member of the Communist Party in Albania under Enver Hoxha's rule. He was the father of current Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Early life and education He was bor ...

, Muntaz Dhrami and Shaban Hadërri. It stands atop a 3-metre pedestal; engraved on the pedestal are the words "Lavdi e përjetshme dëshmorëve të atdheut" ("Eternal glory to the martyrs of the fatherland").

Gallery

File:Mother_Albania_Tirana_3.JPG File:Mother_Albania_Tirana_1.JPG File:Tirana_–_Mother_Albania_2.jpg

External links

{{Albania-struct-stub Monuments and memorials in Albania National symbols of Albania National personifications Colossal statues 1971 sculptures Outdoor sculptures in Tirana 1971 establishments in Albania

Gallery

See also

External links