On the International Day of Monuments and Sites, activists from Vetevendosje and local residents held a protest at the site of the construction for the controversial bypass project in Gjirokaster.
The aim of the protest was not just to raise awareness of the ongoing work on the road but also to highlight the bad condition of other monuments in the area. Activists are unhappy that some EUR 2.8 million is being invested in the bypass project which cuts through a protected area, instead of investing in cultural heritage sites in the city.
The bypass project is expected to be built behind the historic castle, in a valley that has been largely untouched for centuries and contains several Ottoman-era stone bridges. Activists, historical experts, and civil society have been outraged by the plans which they say will destroy this area and threaten the integrity of the castle.
Furthermore, the Municipality and the Albanian government were required to obtain permission from UNESCO before starting work on the project. UNESCO claims this hasn’t happened and said they were notified of the work by civil society.
The Municipality said they did contact UNESCO and that work has been halted until approval is received.
Photos were taken by local residents, however, show that work has continued on the site for several weeks after the Municipality claimed it has stopped. When presented with the photo’s the Municipality said they were probably staged as it’s “election time”.
Exit has requested information on the project including plans and impact assessments from the Municipality but requests have been ignored.
