Berat museums included in regional Museumcultour project

TIRANA, Dec. 18 – The two landmark museums in the southwestern city of Berat, the Onufri and the ethnographic museums have been included in the Museumcultour, a project funded under the IPA Adriatic Cross-Border Cooperation Programme to strengthen cultural tourism through marked-oriented programs and initiatives.
Local officials say they plan to increase interest in the two museums by creating a new visual identity and organizing exhibitions.
“The number of visitors to these museums has doubled in the past year and the promotion under this project has had a major role,” says Agron Polovina, the director of the National Centre of Museums in Berat.
The Onufri National Museum, named after the famous 16th century icon artist, is located in the inner part of “Saint Mary Church” in Berat castle. The Cathedral was rebuilt in 1797, and is considered the most representative monument of post Byzantine architecture in the UNESCO town.
Meanwhile, the National Ethnographic Museum, established in 1979 in a traditional Berat house, is one of the principal examples of Berat’s ancient history and culture.
The museum has been organised in one of the most characteristic and interesting houses of the town showcasing a rich collection of traditional objects.
Since 2008, Berat has been inscribed as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in south central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. 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, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417.