Some USD 100,000 under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation have helped restore a prehistoric site and an 18th century church in Kor衼b>
TIRANA, Jan. 28 – Two US-government projects worth more than USD 100,000 have helped restore a prehistoric tumulus and an 18th century orthodox church in the southeastern region of Kor衮
Outgoing US Ambassador to Albania Alexander Arvizu has inaugurated the Tumulus of Kamenica in Kor衬 a project funded by the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The project cost more than 50,000 dollars and helped fund the restoration and preservation of incredibly important historic sites and remains in Kamenica.
The Ambassador and the Minister of Culture toured the site, and observed recreations by local archeological students of ancient methods of cooking and current methods for the discovery and preservation of remains. All of the remains and artifacts at this site date from the 6th century B.C, and are a testament to the deep cultural history of Albania.
The Tumulus of Kamenica is one of the most representative monuments of the prehistory of Albania and that of the wider region. It is the largest monument of its kind discovered and investigated so far in the country, and carries more or less a seven centuries long history. By visiting the site and the museum of the Tumulus of Kamenica, tourists will have the possibility to experience the uncommon encounter with the mysterious and diverse world of death of a prehistoric community that lived in the period between the end of the 13th and the middle of the 6th centuries B.C.
Ambassador Arvizu had earlier paid a visit to the historic town of Voskopoje to tour several churches in the region and to highlight the United States’ continuing commitment to helping Albania preserve its great wealth of cultural heritage. The Ambassador visited the Saint Nicholas Church in the center of the town, a site for which the State Department’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation committed more than 50,000 USD for roof reconstruction. The church of St. Nicola is the only vaults and cupola covered basilica in Voskopoja, which preserves all architectural elements of the type: the naos, narthex, arcade and the bell-tower. The Ambassador appreciated the opportunity to tour these sites and promised that the United States would continue to seek to partner with local leaders and organizations to help preserve cultural heritage sites throughout the country.
