JURISPRUDENCE COURT/ The Constitutional Court decides: This issue is not for us, take it to the Constitutional Court!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

The gates of Berat in search of their former glory

2025-03-30 19:41:45Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA ERJOLA AZIZOLLI
The gates of Berat in search of their former glory

The gates of the museum apartments, in the characteristic neighborhoods of the city protected by UNESCO, are in need of intervention, while many of them remain closed awaiting the return of their owners, but also a return to their identity, as part of the values ??and pride of the city.

"What did your mother tell you, don't show up at the gate, or the world will see you, my Kaliro...".

These are some of the lyrics to a popular Berat song, which is sung at weddings and celebrations and emphasizes standing near the gate of a young girl's house.

Large, often with two leaves, heavy, made of wood and with stone and iron accessories, the gates of the apartments in the city's museum neighborhoods have been an important part of the identity of Berat families.

They are not just the entrance doors to a house, but an essential part of the city's history and culture.

"The larger the gate, the more it indicated the economic and social level of the family, so they were very important because they identified the dwelling, the importance of the family," says Çlirim Mukli, researcher and translator.

According to him, the doors of Berat's houses required not only money - since the best and most resistant wood had to be chosen - but also a good craftsman's hand to build them, as well as regular attention, since in this way they were maintained.

Depending on the occasion and social status, their construction was treated with varying degrees of constructive-architectural solutions, dividing them into external gates covered with stone arches or wooden lintels.

The doors of the apartments in the city's three museum neighborhoods, "Mangalem", "Gorica" ??and "Kala", have been the focus of canvases of paintings and celluloid photographs over the centuries, while still serving as a muse of inspiration in music and the visual arts.

But the emigration phenomenon that affected the city after the 1990s left many apartments empty in the city's three historic neighborhoods.

And although the development of tourism in recent years has turned a good portion of homes into guesthouses, there are still many uninhabited houses, evident from their gates.

Mainly in the "Goricë" and "Kala" neighborhoods, there are closed apartments, whose doors remain waiting to be reopened and returned to their former identity.

It is clear that in apartments that have not been lived in for years, the doors have been damaged by atmospheric factors, while in apartments where people live, the owners try to maintain them, not without difficulty.

"Yes, we will oil the gate a little like every year after winter because the rain risks rotting the wood," an elderly man in the "Kala" neighborhood told BIRN.

According to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DRTK) of Berat, the gates need intervention, but according to the cultural heritage law, they can only be realized with projects that require institutional approval.

"Any intervention in cultural monument objects, even if carried out with the institution's funds and manpower, should only be carried out after being foreseen in a project drafted by the institution and approved by the National Council of Material Cultural Heritage," DRTK said in an official response to BIRN.

Based on citizens' requests and the monitoring of DRTK specialists, an emergency package with maintenance interventions on monuments, including gates, was approved a year ago.

"As part of this package, interventions are foreseen in 5 gates, of which 2 gates in cultural monument apartments in the "Goricë" neighborhood, 1 gate in the "Mangalem" neighborhood and 2 gates near the Medieval Center," said DRTK.

Intervention in the entrance doors of apartments mainly consists of restoring degraded wooden elements, painting them with linseed oil and antimol.

So far, interventions have been completed at 3 gates, while it is anticipated that interventions of the same nature will be included in all three neighborhoods of the historic center by 2025.

The exterior gates of typical city dwellings are the first architectural evidence with which the building is presented on the street in the eyes of every passerby. According to specialists, they are important both as part of the values ??of the dwelling, but also as part of the construction method.

"In addition to its functional role, the outer gate also carries a decorative load," said Bora Aliaj, specialist and director at DRTK Berat.

"The Berat wooden gates have their own characteristic elements and are evidence of the craftsmanship of woodworking and the carving of various symbols in stone," she added.

Due to their attractive appearance, construction method, and charm, the gates complement the entire ensemble of the area where they are located, including the stone alleys or streets.

"It is not in vain that songs were sung at the gates and alleys, which are still sung today," said researcher Mukli.

Although DRTK Berat declares that as part of its mission, it also protects these values ??with maintenance and restoration interventions, aiming to preserve them, quite a few gates are being demolished today.

BIRN spotted several residential gates in the museum neighborhoods of "Gorica" ??and "Kala" that have been significantly damaged due to lack of timely intervention. Parts of their basic wooden elements have rotted on some gates, while decorative elements have been lost on many others.

As one of the most interesting elements of Berat houses, the old gates attract the attention of foreign visitors.

"They often stop to look at them up close, to take pictures and ask questions about their history and features," said Lyto Alliu, national guide.

According to him, visitors stop and ask about the old gates because of their appearance, as they appear large, durable, and artistically crafted.

"They want to know what material they are made of, how they were preserved for so long and what are the techniques used to create them," he said.

According to Alli, visitors ask many questions about the function and meaning of these gates.

"They want to know why the gates are so big and thick, revealing that they once had a defensive role," Alliu added.

According to him, many visitors ask about the carvings and symbols on the gates, which may represent religious belief, social status, or protection.

“They are curious about everything, about security, asking about double locks or old locking mechanisms and everything,” he concluded./ BIRN


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×