Free Republic

This week in history witnessed one of the most stalwart defenses against the Islamic spear-thrust into Europe—the Battle of Albulena in Albania, 1457. To appreciate the significance of this epic clash, one must first appreciate the leader of the Albanian forces, George Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg (“Lord Alexander”). Today, he is as little known in the West as he was once widely celebrated all throughout Europe. His life, which is featured in the new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam, certainly validates the saying that “truth is stranger than fiction.” Born of Albanian...

Albania is ranked as one of the least religious countries in the world, with only 30% of the population stating they consider religion to be important, according to Gallup. Yet, roughly 60% of the population state they belong to Sunni Islam, with only a 17% minority Christians. Such statistics seem to create a contrast between Albania today and the historical Albania. Centuries ago, Albania was one of the main battlegrounds between the Christian Europe and the armies of the Ottoman Empire. With a tiny population, rivalling feudal families and poor finances, the Albanians demonstrated some of the fiercest and most...

A century after the Kings of Assyria carried away the ten Northern Tribes of Israel into captivity, on the other side of the Mediterranean, Greeks settled the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea in the 7th century BC. One of their major cities was Epidamnos ( Dyrrhachium), founded in 625 BC, located in modern-day Albania. It was there in 48 BC, that Caesar defeated Pompey at the Battle of Dyrrhachium. Caesar Augustus began incorporating the area, known as the Balkan Peninsula, into the Roman Empire. The Roman road, Via Egnatia, stretched from Dyrrhachium on the Adriatic Sea to Constantinople, Byzantium,...