The “First Battle of Sfetigrad” began, one of the longest and most heroic battles fought by the Albanian army, commanded by Skanderbeg, against the Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad II himself. It took place from May 14 until the end of July. On May 14, the Ottoman vanguard reached Lower Dibra and surrounded Sfetigrad. To ease the defense of the fortress, Skanderbeg drew the Turkish vanguard into the Rovik Gorge and crushed it. When the main Ottoman army arrived at Sfetigrad, Skanderbeg positioned his entire army a few miles from the Ottoman camp. Murad II demanded the surrender of the fortress, bombarded it, attempted to take Stellushi by treachery, and launched several attacks on Sfetigrad, all of which failed. Meanwhile, Skanderbeg attacked the Ottoman camp day and night, and together with the fortress defenders, trapped the enemy between two fires. The Ottoman troops guarding the rear had many killed and wounded, including their commander, Firuz Pasha. On the night of June 22, the Albanians launched a deep attack into the Turkish camp. Only when the Ottomans located and cut off the fortress’s water supply were the defenders forced to surrender, with the condition that they would leave the fortress armed and free. Despite capturing Sfetigrad, due to their heavy losses and the prolonged siege of over two and a half months, the Ottomans were forced to halt their advance and retreat, pursued closely by the Albanian army. (In the photograph: Engraving, The Battle of Sfetigrad.)
Text: Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary – Vol. 1, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 234.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Svetigrad_(1448)
Graphic processing: AHCF
