The plan for the construction of the road going in and out of Gjirokaster is threatening the city’s World Heritage status granted by UNESCO.
In a draft resolution published prior to the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) that is taking place in China, there’s a recommendation for the Albanian government to stop all work on this site, as it threatens the city’s unique infrastructure.
The government however is holding the stance that this project ‘doesn’t have and won’t have any negative effects on the city. In turn, academic Emin Riza that has devoted his lives to studying and conserving this city, admits that these interventions will definitely put us at a risk of losing the status.
This isn’t the first time that experts raise the alarm regarding issues of this nature in Gjirokaster and even though they have asked to stop all roadwork on numerous occasions, the government has never reacted.
The bypass road project for the city of Gjirokaster was announced back in 2016, by the government claiming that it aims to deviate the influx of cars from the area covering the protected site, – a decision, which since the very start was asked to be reconsidered by UNESCO.
Gjirokastra become part of the World Heritage Sites list back in 2005, when it was recognized for its urban uniqueness and building structures.
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