TIRANA, September 7/ATA/ The National Program for the Revitalization of Towers is entering its next phase, moving past the design stage to begin physical investments by 2027.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja gave the news highlighting that the program is being finalized in cooperation with GIS and the State Cadaster Agency (ASHK) and is being developed in several directions in parallel.
“We are finalizing the national program for the revitalization of northern towers together with GIS and AsHK, with the objective of moving from the identification and design phase to concrete investments for restoration and revitalization within 2027,” stated Gonxhja.
According to him, one of the main directions of work is the formalization of ownership, in cooperation with the State Cadaster Agency.
“Authorities have processed 697 cases across Dibra, Shkodra, Lezha and Kukës regions to establish the legal and financial framework needed to include local kulla (traditional stone towers) in the restoration program”, Gonxhja emphasized.
In parallel, there have begun the technical preparation of the interventions.
“In cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Tirana (UPT), there have been drafted 28 conceptual restoration projects, which will serve as models for concrete interventions”, said Gonxhja.
Minister Gonxhja announced that, “The next step is to determine the list of priority objects, starting with the 64 towers with cultural monument status, towers at risk and those for which the ownership process has been completed or is nearing completion”.
“Direct budgetary support is expected to be provided for these objects, with a focus on their complete restoration and revitalization”, said Gonxhja.
He said that, “In addition to restoration, we aim to give the towers a concrete function as guesthouses, agrotourism, museums or hospitality centers, i.e. even for visitors and tourists, so that the investment generates the widest possible economic activity for the areas”.
So, this program aims to combine the protection of cultural heritage with the economic and tourist development of the northern areas, by turning traditional towers into new points of cultural, tourist and economic activity.
/k.s/a.f/p.s./
