All Aboard for Albania: Volunteers Needed for Restoration Efforts in World Heritage City of Gjirokastra

Auron Tare has traveled the world seeking support for conservation projects in Albania. Now he is hoping people will travel to Albania to help him restore one of the distinctive Ottoman kullë houses that make up the World Heritage Site of Gjirokastra. He and Heritage Conservation Network are recruiting volunteers for a two-week hands-on building conservation workshop that runs from September 28 to October 11, 2008.

Gjirokastra, known both as the City of Stone and the Town of a Thousand Steps, is one of the best preserved Ottoman cities in the world. Its architecture is characterized by a type of tower house, the Turkish ‘kullë’, which developed in the 17th century and was utilized for several hundred years. The houses feature a tall basement, a first floor for the cold season, and a second floor for the warm season. The city’s many slate roofs were immortalized in Ismail Kadare’s Chronicle in Stone, a book about the author’s childhood in Gjirokastra during WWII.

Any one interested in historic architecture or exploring a new culture is encouraged to participate in this restoration effort. Albanian conservators will teach and guide participants as they work; no experience is necessary.

As with most volunteer vacation initiatives, participants are asked to cover their costs and contribute to conservation work. The cost of the workshop is US$950 for one week and US$1,800 for two weeks, which covers lodging, breakfast and lunch, insurance, workshop materials, instruction and fieldtrips. Transportation to the workshop is not included. There is a discount of $50 per week for registrations received by June 15, 2008. A few partial, need-based scholarships are available for participants from Albania and surrounding countries.

To learn more or register online, go to www.heritageconservation.net/ws-albania.htm.

Heritage Conservation Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage around the world. HCN’s workshops give volunteers the opportunity to give something back by helping to protect valuable cultural treasures. To learn more about HCN’s international workshops, visit HCN’s website at www.heritageconservation.net.

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