Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 17 – Several museums and archeological parks throughout Albania opened their doors to the public on Wednesday, May 18, which marked the International Museum Day. The National Museum of History in Tirana, the Skanderbeg Museum in Kruja, the Onufri museum in Berat, the archaeological museum of Durres and the Medieval Arts and archeological museums in Korca were some of the sites offering free visits.
On and around May 18th, museums worldwide celebrate the International Museum Day. First established in 1977 by the International Council of Museums, more than 30,000 museums in around 100 countries now hold special activities to mark this occasion. In 2011, the theme of International Museum Day is “Museum and Memory”.
“Through the objects they store, museums collect stories and convey the memory of our communities. These objects are the expressions of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of them are fragile, some endangered and they need special care and conservation. International Museum Day will be an occasion for visitors to discover and rediscover individual and collective memory.”
Albania boasts three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Butrint archaeological park in Saranda, as well as the southern cities of Gjirokastra and Beratآoth described as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period.
Albania, with its cultural heritage values, continues to be an attractive and open “museum” for all visitors. Situated between two major ancient civilizations, the Greek and Roman, Albania inherits an invaluable treasure of cultural heritage, which naturally belongs to the world cultural heritage. This heritage can be found everywhere, in archaeological parks, natural parks, art galleries, photographic and film archives, castles and fortresses, religious monuments and historic architecture, in the stone paved paths and all over the country’s museums.
Albania’s cultural heritage is well-known abroad; it is admired by visitors who want to see the masterpieces of culture and art, to understand the testimonies of prehistory, the classical period and Illyrian civilization, and blend of Illyrian, Greek and Roman culture.
