The Gjirokastër Obelisk is a monument in Gjirokastër, Albania which pays tribute to Albanian education in the 20th century. The Obelisk is located adjacent to the area in which the first Albanian school opened in Gjirokastra in 1908, where a new Albanian national alphabet was used. Under Ottoman rule, Albanians were not allowed to use their own language in their schools.

The monument is 7 m high, and is built with 124 blocks ofhewn stone, from Lekdush Progonat, which are very resistant toward natural phenomena. The creators of the obelisk were Muntaz Dhrami, Ksenofon Kostaqi, and Stefan Papamihali and in 2008 they were all awarded the prize “Honour of the City of Gjirokaster” .

The Obelisk is located in the highest peak of the city of Gjirokastra and there are amazing views of the old town. The districts of Varosh which can be seen directly below, Palorto, toward the right and Dunavat which is higher on the hill toward the left and further on you can see the whole Drinos Valley.

The Gjirokastër Obelisk appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Gjirokastër!

Other names of Gjirokastër Obelisk

The Gjirokastër Obelisk has the following names: Mëmëdheu (Albanian: Motherland) ABC.

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