Turkish Conquest

The Ottoman Turks entered the Balkans in 1354, reduced the Serbs to vassalage in the 1380's, and in 1403 moved against Albania. George Castriota, an Albanian chieftain's son, served the Turks as a soldier and a military governor. In 1443 Castriota by then called Scander-beg (a corruption of Iskander Bey, his Turkish name) turned against the Turks and became a leader of Albanian resistance. For 24 years Scanderbeg outfought the Turks, but after his death in 1468 the country was brought under Ottoman rule. The last Venetian ports fell to the Turks in 1479.

Turkish rule was not harsh, and Albanian nobles retained their lands and feudal powers. However, the Albanians were not permitted to have schools.