Cultural monuments in an album from the air

TIRANA, Nov.4 – Albania will have a new album of its cultural monuments photographed from the air by November 2012 when the country celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence. The two-year project launched this week, will be implemented by the National Aero Club of Albania and the Culture and Tourism Ministry in an effort to further promote cultural tourism and increase the number of visitors to archeological sites and monuments of culture including old monasteries, mosques and houses.
The album will contain 300 photos in a 38×38 cm format and be accompanies by bilingual Albanian and English explanatory notes.
The ministry says the publication will also create a database of pictures showing the real condition of Albanian cultural monuments and help their monitoring by officials.
The photos will be taken by Alket Islami, the president of the National Aero Club, who has previously successfully published three albums with pictures called “Albania from the air.”
An aerial photographer, Alket Islami works as a paragliding and paramotor instructor. Through his passion he has developed a new relationship with his country.
“At the beginning I thought, like everyone else, of going away and working somewhere else. Then I became acquainted with paragliding and started introducing the sport in Albania. Flying is a form of virus, an incurable, but somehow pleasant, uplifting sickness. Thanks to this sickness I will use every ounce of strength flying for my country and using my perspective on Albania from above,” Islami told the European Stability Initiative back in 2008.