Thanks to its construction and architectural values, the city of Gjirokastra is serving as a natural workshop for students and young local and foreign specialists of cultural heritage. A group of 100 students from the country’s universities together with lecturers and monuments specialists are working on the study and restoration of stone dwellings and museum complexes.
“We have chosen the city of Gjirokastra as a great value with cultural heritage and that offers a series of houses with special architectural values,” said pedagogue Malvina Istrefaj.
Groups of young specialists are working on about 20 museum buildings, some of which are symbols of the stone city. In addition to professional elements, students are contributing to their promotion and maintenance.
“The groups have each selected their house, at the moment we are in 9 houses, so the groups are divided by 5 students, each of them has been accommodated in the selected house since the first day, they have started work and we are currently in the Fico apartment that it is one of the most interesting houses, especially from the point of view of architectural details, and at the same time among the most endangered from the point of view of the structure,” said Istrefaj.
The young architects are excited about the contribution they are making to the restoration of the characteristic buildings in Gjirokastra, hoping that the work done will avoid further damage.
“We are in the Fico house, we have come within the framework of the restoration of cultural heritage and we are dealing with the analysis of the facades, with the 3D design, with the problems encountered,” – said a student.
The promotion and restoration of museum dwellings is influencing the protection of architectural values and their revitalization. During the last years in the city of Gjirokastra, the number of family tourism units as well as characteristic guesthouses has increased, improving the quality of hospitality for local and foreign visitors and encouraging the development of tourism.
