TIRANA, Oct. 10 – The Butrint National Park, an archaeological site of particular historic and cultural importance, has drawn attention following media reports that construction work has begun within the area, which is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The construction work is reportedly taking place in the vicinity of a prehistoric wall that dates back to the VII-VIII century B.C., even though UNESCO’s directives prohibit construction within the park, unless it is for restoration or maintenance purposes. The Director of the National Park, Gjergji Mano, told local media construction work has begun with the permission of the Ministry of Culture, however it is also reported that UNESCO has not been properly consulted concerning the issue.
Ever since it was inhabited in prehistoric times, Butrint – which is located near Sarandà« – has been the host of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Under Byzantine rule, the city grew prosperous, but it was followed by a short Venetian occupation and was later abandoned in the Middle Ages. Today, the ruins located at the archeological site offer a great insight on each of the city’s periodical developments. Due to these unique properties, UNESCO’s official website states that “the protections and conservation of the archeological monuments is covered by the law on Cultural Heritage.”
Pictures taken by Shqiptarja.com show that the construction of the object – which will be a multi-functional centre – is taking place in the Acropolis of Butrint, next to the Venetian Tower, which is the highest of the site. The company which has been given the right to construction in the protected area is Hako sh.p.k., and while the centre will be a privately owned business aiming to monetary profit, the Minister of Culture, Mirela Kumbaro, claims the project is in line with UNESCO’s rules.
More specifically, Kumbaro gave the following brief statement to Report TV: “No concrete and iron can be found in the context you present. This project is approved 100% within all criteria and rules.” Replying to another question regarding this issue, which has now become a permanent concern for activists and media alike, Kumbaro argued that “the adaption of existing structures that offer trade services with temporary structures is underway, in full accordance with the parameters predicted by UNESCO’s convents.”
However, during an exclusive interview for Shqiptarja.com, the Director of the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, Mechtild Rà¶ssler, stated otherwise. Concerning the construction work, which begun on the 2nd of October, Rà¶ssler said she was notified at the end of the previous week and asked other state institutions for additional information on the 9th of October, two days after Kumbaro claimed to have consulted UNESCO regarding the issue.
Rà¶ssler was also asked whether the Albanian Ministry of Culture has the right to grant construction work plans within Butrint as part of a managerial plan. To this, she replied the following: “According to the convent for the preservation of World Heritage sites, it is Albania’s responsibility, as a country that has signed the convent, to evaluate and make sure that no development will take place that might impact the universal values of integrity and authenticity that made Butrint a World Heritage site in 1992.” She also added, when asked whether a previous archeological examination of the area was necessary before approving the construction project, that “the specific influence this project will have on Butrint’s universal values, specifically those of authenticity and integrity of the archeological layers, will need to be thoroughly reexamined by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, including the ICOMOS Advisory Body, based on the information provided by the convent’s consignee country.”
Another issue brought to attention by the media concerns 33 families in Butrint, which might be shun away from the area in which they have been authorized to sell artisanal souvenirs to visitors in an attempt to integrate the community with Butrint’s cultural inheritance. This could be the possible outcome of establishing the multi-functional centre, which in turn will be acting against the local community’s interests. Concerning UNESCO’s stand in regard to this issue, Rà¶ssler said that “the inclusion of local communities in defending and managing the properties of World Heritage sites is an essential basis for the long-term preservation of these sites. Subsequently, UNESCO promotes activities around World Heritage sites that can help local communities benefit from the tourism industry, including artisanal work and the general development of the region. In Butrint’s case, the mechanisms we can put to work so that monetary profits can be shared with the community will be carefully examined.”
One of the last points mentioned by Rà¶ssler is that according to Act 106 of the Operational Directives for the implementation of the World Heritage convention, each World Heritage property should have a plan of a managing system. Albania’s last official managing plan belongs the period 2000-2005; a second managing draft was evaluated by ICOMOS International in 2013, while UNESCO is still expecting a final version of the managing plan by the Ministry of Culture.
In relation to all above-mentioned facts, Kumbaro has been summoned to a hearing by the Media Committee on the 11th of October. Even though she stated that all questions will be answered during the hearing with the Commission, where she will also bring the documentation of her correspondence with UNESCO, reports by Shqiptarja.com notify that journalists are not being allowed entrance within the Butrint National Park, for which the park’s director claims a permission by the Ministry of Culture is required for a second entrance, even for tourists.
