Education in Albanian was not permitted under Ottoman rule, so the opening of Gjirokastra's first Albanian-language school in 1908 using the new national alphabet was a major milestone. The 7-metre-high 'Motherland ABC' obelisk erected on this hill in the old town commemorates these new freedoms, and at the same time offers unimpeded views across Gjirokastra's residential areas and the Drinos valley below.