TIRANA, July 1 /ATA/ – The European Union-funded EU4Culture programme has concluded after restoring and revitalising 23 cultural heritage sites across Albania that were damaged in the 2019 earthquake, implementing agency UNOPS said on Tuesday.

The 40 million euro programme, implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) between October 2020 and June 2026, is the largest cultural heritage initiative carried out in Albania and the Western Balkans, the organisation said.

In addition to restoring earthquake-damaged monuments, the programme aimed to promote cultural heritage as a driver of sustainable development.

To mark the programme’s completion, UNOPS organised a two-day media tour of several restored sites, showcasing the impact of the EU-funded initiative, which was implemented in cooperation with Albania’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports.

Journalists visited sites in Tirana, Durrës, Bashtovë and Kavajë, including the mosaic façade of the National Historical Museum, the National Puppet Theatre, the Central State Film Archive, the “Sotir Kolea” Book Centre, the Venetian Tower and Ottoman Hammam in Durrës, the Durrës Archaeological Museum, the Durrës Ethnographic Museum, Bashtovë Castle and the Kavajë Ethnographic Museum.

According to UNOPS, the programme has helped preserve Albania’s cultural heritage while supporting sustainable tourism, local economic development, job creation and the revitalisation of community spaces for cultural, educational and artistic activities.

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