Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra

Berat, situated in central Albania, has witnessed the centuries-long cohabitation of diverse religious and cultural groups. It has a palace, popularly known as the Kala, that was mostly constructed in the 13th century but had roots dating back to the fourth century BC. Many Byzantine monasteries, often from the 13th century, may be found in the fortress region, and several buildings were built during the Ottoman era, which started in 1417. In the Drinks river basin in the southern part of Albania, Gjirokastra has a sequence of exceptional two-story villas built in the seventeenth century. A marketplace, an 18th-century masjid, and two cathedrals from the same era may all be found in the city. Berat & Gjirokastra are listed as uncommon instances of an architectural character typically from the Ottoman period and the architectural treasure of Albania.

Berat and Gjirokastra

Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra cover the towns of Berat & Gjirokastr in the southern part of Albania. In 2005, Gjirokastr was included in the Unesco World Heritage Sites list; in 2008, Berat was formed as a site expansion. They have been classified as rare specimens of Ottoman traditional architecture.

Berat: Berat is known as the “City of a Thousand Windows” and is regarded as one of the architectural treasures of Albania. With fortresses and houses, antique houses of worship, and stunning art pieces, iconography, and paintings, remnants from the Illyrians, Greeks, Italians, Byzantines, & Ottomans can still be seen and well maintained throughout the city. Berat has long been where many religions and cultures have coexisted peacefully.

Gjirokastra: The city of stones, Gjirokastr, runs along the pricey side of something like the Drina River basin, admiring the mediaeval scenery with magnificent stone structures flanked on all sides hills. Gjirokastra, like most other towns in Albania, is home to architectural gems from numerous cultures that have ruled the region and are an architectural treasure of Albania.

The Exceptional Global Worth of Berat and Gjirokastra

These twin-walled ancient centres have been extremely well maintained, especially their vernacular architecture. They are located in the Balkans, in Southern Albania, and are adjacent.

Berat & Gjirokastra provide evidence of a style of life that has been affected by Islamic traditions for a long time while also absorbing more ancient elements during the Ottoman period. This manner of life has maintained Orthodox Christian traditions, allowing cultural and spiritual growth to flourish, particularly in Berat.

Wealthy landowners constructed Gjirokastra. The village has homes with towers typical of the Balkans region, all-around an old 13th-century fortress. Gjirokastra has numerous noteworthy instances of this type of home originating from the seventeenth century and more complex specimens from the early nineteenth century.

Berat gives testament to a defended yet open town inhabited for a long time by artisans and merchants. Its urban centre retains the Balkans’ vernacular housing history, with examples dating mostly from the 18th and early 19th centuries. With terraced residences on the slopes generally horizontal in layout, this heritage has been altered to fit the town’s lifestyle choices.

Criteria Under Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra

Criteria (iii): Berat & Gjirokastra are exceptional examples of the variety of Balkan urban communities and long-ago methods of life that are now practically extinct. Gjirokastra’s city planning and dwellings are reminiscent of a citadel city created by prominent proprietors whose interests were inextricably linked to the central power. Berat bears the impression of a more autonomous way of life with its artisan and commercial duties.

Criterion (iv): The two cities of Gjirokastra and Berat together bear extraordinary evidence of various types of monuments and colloquial urban shelter even during the Classical Middle ages, in consistency with the numerous Mediaeval cultures that preceded it, and in friendly relations with a huge Christian minority, especially in Berat.

Technical Help for the Administration Of Historic Centres Berat and Gjirokastra in Albania

Berat had become a rich financial and technological hub from the sixth century BCE due to its strategic geographical position on the few routes between the Adriatic Sea and the Balkan Peninsula and even on the shores of the Osum River. This long idea is reflected in its cultural legacy, including two forts, several Islamic & Greek Orthodoxy religious structures, and several thousand traditional residences that constitute a remarkable assemblage of the Balkan region’s heritage buildings.

The Albanian government-sponsored legislation during the Communist era to preserve 550 traditional houses, various monuments, and fortresses in the historical Centre of Berat and Gjirokastra. After the proclamation of atheism in 1967, approximately half of the mosques and churches were destroyed. Following the dissolution of the government in 1990, the new administration halted all heritage-related initiatives, resulting in the gradual deterioration of the ancient city. Unemployment reached alarming levels, resulting in many indirect impacts, including increased urbanisation. 

Conclusion

The ancient towns of Berat & Gjirokastra, situated in central and southern parts of Albania, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005, owing to the existence of some noteworthy Ottoman-style buildings and the preservation of their vernacular urban setting. The goal of the technical cooperation venture, which was carried out under the France-UNESCO Partnership Deal in 1999, was to provide jobs possibilities through the restoration of old architecture and infrastructural facilities in the historic centres of Berat and Gjirokastra, both of which were marked just on World Heritage List in 2005, in establishing a prototype of environmental sustainability of historic cities. Hopefully, this technique will be replicated in other Albanian cities and the region.