UNESCO concerned over illegal constructions in Gjirokastra, Berat

TIRANA, March 7 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has expressed its concern over the lack of control for illegal constructions in both Gjirokastra and Berat and regrets that a long-term plan has not been established to rectify the violations that have already occurred in order to improve the value and integrity of the property. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee says that no progress is being made to introduce a programme for archaeological interventions in case of implementation of major restoration, as well as for the lack of an agreed overall fire response plan for the entirety of the property.
The Committee recognises the efforts made to develop a tourism plan in Berat which aims to support the needs of the local community within the framework of the management plan and also expresses its great concern that no such plan has been developed for Gjirokastra.
It reiterates its request to the State Party to urgently put in place an agreed action plan and timescale to address the current ones and prevent any further violations;
The Committee also requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to assess the overall state of conservation of the property, progress in its management and whether the criteria for the possible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger are met.
Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed to UNESCO as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in 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. Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period.
Berat and Gjirokastra bear witness to a way of life which has been influenced over a long period by the traditions of Islam during the Ottoman period, while at the same time incorporating more ancient influences. This way of life has respected Orthodox Christian traditions which have thus been able to continue their spiritual and cultural development, particularly at Berat.