Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family The Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family is a building in Tirana, capital of Albania, which holds the remains of King Zog and other members of his family. The original mausoleum was designed by the architect Qemal Butka, and was inaugurated on 30 December 1935, for Sadijé, the king's mother, who had died the previous year. The building was destroyed by communist forces on 17 November 1944. It was reconstructed in the form of a replica, inaugurated on 17 November 2012, to house the remains of King Zog, which were brought back from Paris
Zog I of Albania took power, and formally deposed him in 1946. Sponsored by the British and Americans, some forces loyal to Zog attempted to mount invasions and incursions, but most were ambushed due to intelligence sent to the Soviet Union by spy Kim Philby. A referendum in 1997—seven years after the end of Communist rule—proposed to restore the monarchy in the person of Zog's son Leka Zogu who, since 1961, had been styled "Leka I, King of the Albanians". The official but disputed results stated that about two-thirds of voters favoured a continued republican government. Leka, believing the result to be fraudulent, attempted