Castle Burgajet

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Castle Burgajet was a large fortified house, located in the Mat District of Albania. It was the birth-place, and family seat of, King Zog I of the Albanians ^[1].

Jason Tomes described is 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... ^[2]

His family were the traditional feudal rulers of the Mat District of Albania and were large landowners.

On ascent to King, Zog took up residence in a palace Tirana (with a Summer Palace in Durrës - see image), this (along with it being looted and set alight to be cont.) led 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. ^[3] When asked why he did not re-built Burgajet Zog replied "I was too busy rebuilding my country."

[edit] References

1. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica Online
2. ^ "King Zog; Self-Made Monarch of Albania, Jason Tomes P. 8, ISBN 0 7509 3077 2
3. ^ "King Zog; Self-Made Monarch of Albania, Jason Tomes P. 8, ISBN 0 7509 3077 2