Shpirag ( 'Shpiragu') is a
massif
A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
located from the historic center of
Berat
Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and ea ...
, in south-central
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
. It reaches a height of above sea level.
Geology
The massif has an elongated crest, with a narrow ridge that slopes rapidly from north to south, forming low hills around it and is easily identifiable on geographical maps. Composed of
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
marked by grooves, on its eastern side it features a large stone sign with the inscription "ENVER", in honor of communist leader
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
.
The northeastern sides have been weathered by a network of parallel streams, which are almost equidistant from each other, giving the impression of lines and thus earning the nickname "Mountain with lines" (). Karstic water springs are present in the village of
Sinjë
Sinjë is a village and a former municipality in Berat County, central Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Berat
Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, nin ...
at the northwestern end of the mountain.
Vegetation is scarce, with Mediterranean oaks scattered around the massif.
Marked slogan
The slogan "ENVER," displayed in large letters on the eastern side of the mountain, was meticulously crafted in record time, just 15 days, during the fall holiday season of 1969, through the efforts of local volunteers. The execution of this task involved the use of telescopes positioned on the balcony of the former Executive Committee building and in the western part of
Berat Castle. Commands were communicated via radio and manual army telephones. Natural slate stones, sourced from the bed of the
Osum
The Osum is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Its source is in the southwestern part of the Korçë County, near the village of Vithkuq at an a ...
river, were carefully placed on the foundations of the letters and were held in place using
lime
Lime most commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Bo ...
, in the form of
mortar. Each letter measured an impressive in length and in width, with the lines having a thickness of approximately .
After the fall of the regime, in 1994, an attempt was made to remove the stones, which had become embedded in the mountain. The Albanian army even tried, unsuccessfully, using
napalm
Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...
to remove the sign.
See also
*
List of mountains in Albania
Albania is mostly mountainous, with the first alpine regions forming towards the end of the Jurassic period. During the Cenozoic era, the malformation of the ''Albanides'' accelerated, causing the subterranean landscape to take its present form. ...
References
{{reflist
Mountains of Albania
One-thousanders of Albania