Albania and Turkey are the only countries that have destroyed cultural heritage sites under the protection of Europa Nostra.
“Before the violent and brutal demolition of the National Theater of Albania in Tirana,” Europa Nostra told Panorama, “none of the 36 heritage sites included in the 7 Most Endangered list since 2013 have perished. Hasankeyf, in Turkey, may be comparable, seeing as the city was submerged as a result of the construction of a dam on the Tigris river.”
The ancient town of Hasankeyf in Turkey and its archeological sites were flooded after the completion of the Ilisu Dam.
Hasankeyf was under the protection of Europa Nostra. It was not recognized and protected as a UNESCO Heritage Site as the Turkish authorities made no attempts to have it recognized as such.
In March 2020, the Albanian National Theater was included in Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered Sites in 2020 list. Nonetheless, in the early hours of May 17, the Albanian government demolished the National Theater.
