The “Battle of Savra” took place, one of the first head-to-head battles between the Albanians and the Ottoman invaders. Under the leadership of Balsha II, the Albanian forces faced an army of Ottoman cavalry commanded by Timurtash, one of the most experienced Ottoman military leaders. The match took place in Savra Field, southeast of Lushnja. Balsha’s army aimed to block the path of penetration to the Ottoman forces, which were relentlessly attacking the Albanian lands. The Ottomans took advantage of the conflicts that were developing between the Albanian feudal rulers, one of whom, Karl Topia, turned to them for help. Under pressure from the Bosnian feudal lords and underestimating the enemy forces, the Albanian army came before the Ottomans without proper preparation. As a result, they were defeated and Balsha II was killed on the battlefield. With the weakening of the Balshaj principality, the way was opened for the Ottoman penetration into the interior of the Albanian lands. (In the photo: The work of the painter Lazar Taçi “Battle of Savra 1385”, 1989.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 231-232.
Photo: © Lushnjë Historical Museum
Graphic processing: AHCF
