The historic town of Gjirokastra in southern Albania has received by far too little recognition and preservation efforts by the UNESCO and the European Union. More and more the impressive stone mansions of the Old Town at the partly steep slopes around the castle suffer from neglect and decay. But still they stand upright and remain impressive testimony of the cultural and economic significance of this early civilization centre on the Balkans. Under the socialist regime of Enver Hoxha (who was born there) the Old Town was restored and preserved as a "museum city". Political unrest and the economic misery since the early 1990s, also the emigration of the skilled builders to neighbouring Greece have led to the increasing deterioration of this architectural heritage of world importance. Also there exists no consequent town planning supervision that would prevent the construction of modern and ugly concrete buildings even in the hitherto intact quarters of the Old Town.
The eminently valuable architectural heritage of Gjirokastra deserves particular attention also in view of its exemplary significance for the evolution of the traditional building style in northern Greece. Albanians from the Gjirokastra - Epiros region are admittedly renowned as master builders on the Holy Mountain of Athos and in Macedonia. Equally the traditional stone mansions on Thassos were largely constructed by crafsmen from southern Albania in the style which they had been acquainted with since the years of their childhood. |
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