Berat holds first cultural, entertainment festival

TIRANA, April 28 – The southern UNESCO town of Berat will host its first festival edition to promote cultural tourism. The first edition of Berat Festival, scheduled from May 1 to 9 is organized by the Italian embassy in Tirana in cooperation with the Berat municipality.
The festival will bring cultural and entertaining activities including rafting on the local Osumi river, exhibitions, a competition to announce the best restaurant and a conference on the future of Berat.
The local museum will also open a special exhibition with icons created by renowned 16 century painter Onufri.
Berat was inscribed as a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town in July 2008. Located in central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. A town of 64,000 inhabitants, it features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, several of which contain valuable wall paintings and icons. The town also numbers several mosques built under Ottoman era which started in 1417. Berat also has several houses for religious communities, notably some used by Sufi brotherhoods in the 18th century and well-preserved housing in a distinct style.