Six years ago, Berati was inclused in the Unesco list

June 8^th is a very important date for Berat city. Exactly six years ago the city was included in the prestigious world heritage list of Unesco on 8^th July 2008. Many local authorities, citizens and visitors celebrated the sixth anniversary of city’s inclusion in the world heritage list. The Regional Directory of National Culture held some activities in the historical center of the city, expositions and a city’s folk music concert.

Lpcated in central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417. In Berat the UNESCO status was awarded to the old Castle, the two historic districts of Mangalem and Gorica and the Medieval Center.

Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period.