Where were the Kastriots from?!

From: Halil Rama

John Muzaka, who in the 16th century left a will: "You know that the grandfather of God Skenderbe is called Pal Kastrioti and he owned no more than two villages, called Sîn and Gardh i Poshtem..." (Gardhi i Poshtem is located in Muhurr)

Forty-eight years ago (January 1974), the issue of the provincial origin of the Kastriots became the subject of a special study by Professor Kristo Frashëri, who for the first time scientifically deals with the issue of the place where Skënderbeu was born. In his article titled "Where were the Kastriots from?" Where was Skenderbeu born?", he laid out for discussion and confrontation all the archival and literary sources, to which he added the toponymic data he collected in the field.

From the analysis of these data, Professor Frashëri comes to the conclusion that, with the name of Has, the Ragusan chronicle of Lukar and the Bosnian collection of Fermexhin, they did not take into account the present-day province of Kukes, since this province, until the end of the century. XVI was called Pashtrik. According to Professor Frashër, they had in mind one of the provinces of the district of Dibra, the center of which is Çidhna, barbarically massacred by Sultan Mehmet II in 1466, in whose bay are the villages of Kastriot, Sinë and Gardhi i Poshtëm, which are historically related to the Skanderbeg family.

Eight years later, well-known historians, prof. Stafanaq Pollo and prof. Kristo Frashëri, after visiting the museum of the Kastriots in Sina of Dibra, left this note in the impression notebook of the visitors of this museum: "Sina, September 12, 1982. We visited the small museum of the village of Sina, the place of origin of the Kastriots and our National Hero, Skanderbeg. We salute the initiative of the residents of Sina and those who supported the establishment of this Museum. We wish that it (the museum) will be enriched as soon as possible and turn into a historical object that can be visited for the education of the new generation. We wish that the national museum dedicated to the family of Kastriots and the sons and daughters that this great door produced, especially the immortal hero, Skenderbeu, will soon be built in Sinai" - the signatures of Kristo Frashëri, Hysen Lala, Stefanaq Pollo, Hazis Ndreu (the book "Origin Skanderbeg's dibrane", page 218 - M&B editions).

Exactly this reference from well-known historians, prof. Stafanaq Pollo and prof. Kristo Frashëri makes the book "The origin of Skanderbeg" (The history of the establishment of the Museum of Kastriots in Sina) by the author Besnik Selman Kebej, which is a truly scientific study, more reliable. This notebook, which is fanatically kept by the architect of this museum, Besnik S. Kebej, former director of the eight-year school Sina, forms the basis of this study that is published in the context of the 554th anniversary of the death of the National Hero, Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu.

Thirty-five years after the inauguration of the Museum of Kastriots in Sina di Dibra (September 18, 2020), an impressive visit here to the place of origin of our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, of the head of the Albanian state, Ilir Meta, would serve to renew the tradition of this area. This is a historic day, after referring to the great work of prof. Kristo Frashërit, "The History of Dibra", which stands majestically next to the busts of Gjon, Pal and Gjergj Kastrioti at the entrance of the Museum, President Meta, as well as the historical elite of the nation (prof. Paskal Milo, prof. Bernard Zoto, prof. Adem Bunguri, etc.) who visited this museum three years ago, would "legitimize" this village as the place of origin of the Kastriots.

But the one who preceded this major event is precisely the teacher passionate about history Besnik S. Kebej, who after a 30-year study gives us his monumental work "The Dibran Origin of Skanderbeg - The History of the Establishment of the Museum of Kastriots" in Siné", with 255 pages, full of references, archival and bibliographic sources. The editor of the book, dr. Fejzulla Gjabri, among other things, appreciates him for a different way of treating the origin of the Kastriots. This, according to him, is due to the fact that Besnik S. Kebej, 2 being an employee for some time at the Skanderbeg Museum in Sinai, has gained the experience of historical processes, also benefiting from the many debates about the origin of the Kastriots, Skanderbeg's ancestors. In this book is his work of more than 30 years, collecting and systematizing data about the Hero's country of origin".

Based on numerous references from well-known local and foreign researchers who have dealt with this topic, the author of this book scientifically deals with topics such as "Kastriots and Skënderbeu", "Who are the Dibrans", "Kastriots, heritage and territories", "Castriotes, etymology, flag and coat of arms" etc. While in the seventh chapter, "Several toponyms that form a unique territory", he gives information about several villages according to the Turkish register, to continue in the eighth chapter with "A little archeology in the lands of Kastriot".

A LITTLE HISTORY

The Museum of Kastriots in Sinai was ready since November 28, 1979, but due to subjective reasons and deliberate obstacles from some local authority of Dibër district, its inauguration took place after six years, on November 2, 1985. However, even during these years it continued intensively work for his enrichment. Since August 1978, when he started working as a director at the 8-year-old school "Nimete Progonati" in Sinë, BS Kebej came into contact with the legends and names of places for Skënderbeu, just like in Muhurr. Then he continued for some time with toponymy and interviews with the elderly about Skenderbeu.

In the meantime, the students were given the task to continue with the archaeological findings of the case. Until 1982, they organized two scientific sessions about Skenderbeu, enriching the materials and increasing the knowledge about the Hero. Also, in his book (pg. 213) we learn that on May 29, 1982, the cooperative worker Isa Kadriu brought a bronze medallion with the portrait of Skënderbeu to the School Directorate. In fact, this medallion object even set in motion the scientific authorities of the Academy of Sciences in Tirana.

During the visit to Sinai in the fall of 1982, well-known academics, prof. Stafanaq Pollo and prof. Kristo Farshëri's attention was drawn to three archaeological objects, found in Lower Sinai: a gold ring with the portrait of Skënderbeu, which ended up being owned by Ahmet Zog; a dry seal with a stone body, the lettered part of which had a metal coat of arms (this seal was found around 1967-1968, when the irrigation channel that exits on the other side of the Drin was opened), as well as a metal plate with a coat of arms , found around 1940, which, they say, when rubbed, glowed until the eyes were blinded.

At that time, the diligent researcher BS Kebej spoke to the honorable professors Pollo e Frashëri about the grave of Ballaban Pasha in Upper Sina, with "crosses in stone", about Lower Kllez (where a stream has its origin in Upper Kllez and this the stream is known as the "city stream"), for Troja e Mzeze, where there are many toponyms and microtoponyms with the purpose of shopping and shops. Based on this rich toponymy, researcher Kebej argues the location of the Lower Fence (Zhgjerdhi) in Muhurr.

He claims that there are traces of housing here, which were damaged during the years of the former agricultural cooperative, and later a military unit was also installed, which damaged it even more. However, researcher Kebej did not finish his research. After interviews with some insightful elders from Muhurri and Sina, he focused on three legends:

"Cape Skanderbeg because there were horse tracks"; "Three traces of Skanderbeg's horse are still today in Hurdha i Mshela; "Skënderbeu built a castle in Sheh te Thaë, which is still known today as Skënderbeu's Castle". With these and many other source and archival data, the Museum of Kastriots in Sina was further enriched, which was officially inaugurated on November 2, 1985. This small museum, with a one-story building, with stone carved by the masters of Sina, testifies to a a great historical fact for that time and for generations to come that the origin of the Kastriots is Sina e Dibra. Not for nothing, the well-known Dibra historian, Haki Përnezha, in the role of Cicero, among other things, would make known a year ago to the most important visitor of this museum, President Meta, what Gjon Muzaka has left as a testament since the 16th century: "You know that the grandfather of God Skenderbe is called Pal Kastrioti and he had no more than two villages in his possession, called Sîn and Gardh i Poshtem..." (Gardhi i Poshtem is located in Muhurr).

conclusions

Besnik S. Kebej closes his genuine study on the Dibra origin of Skënderbeu with the conclusion that "The Muhurr-Sinë territory is the one that complements and matches the documents, the geostrategic position, the toponymy, the archeology, that this is precisely the most minimum mentioned by Gj. Muzaka for Skanderbeg's grandfather". He reaches this conclusion after bringing documents and arguments that Skanderbeg's grandfather was called Kostandin Mazrek Kastrioti and that he was from Upper Mazreka in Muhurr.

He also comes to these conclusions from the fact that the Cavalry Road passed through Muhurr with the name Dibrane Road, while the Old Woman Road passed through Sina. Also due to the fact that in Muhurr there is a town of the 5th-6th century AD, in Sinjë there is Kllezi and between Sinj and Muhurr the city of Troja, which has many graves, has water, has shops and bazaars, there are religious places with denominations Great Popteshja and Little Popteshja. According to him, the Kastriots moved for a better life from Mazreka to Sina and from Sina they came to the village they formed on the right side of the Black Drin, under their name, Kastriot.