Location
  • Albania

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Housing
Guesthouse
Groups
Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Starting Price
1300
Apr 19, 2017
Aug 04, 2015
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About Program

Albania, tightly closed to the outside world until the 1990s, has opened its doors and is racing to catch up. The energy level is high and AiP is helping one community direct some of that energy toward saving its amazing architectural heritage and building their economy through heritage tourism.

Gjirokastra, which grew up around a 13th century citadel, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ottoman rulers arrived in 1385 and for over 500 years directed the building of large stone tower houses up steep hillsides overlooking the Drinos river. Following the Ottomans' departure in 1912, these massive houses were no longer maintained, and several hundred descending into ruin by 2012. Over 400 of these fascinating structures still stand in various stages of deterioration, and AiP volunteers are helping the community take action. This project is on hold until funding can be found to continue this important work.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Adventures in Preservation (AiP).

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 1 review
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  • Impact 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 reviews
Default avatar
Sue
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Getting to know the Neighborhood

My favorite part of this adventure was that we stayed in one neighborhood for the entire stay. Walking to our work site we saw the same people and they greeted us as if we were a valued part of their little world.
I also valued that I was working under real experts in their field. I loved learning how history could be recorded and used in a computer program like Photoshop! What a valuable experience!
We also had plenty of time to have really interesting field trips that included meeting other people of like-minded interest that were studying/working in the fields of preservation.
I am planning to return next year if possible!

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe there could have been a bit more structured organization...however this was not totally the fault of AiP. Albania is not an easy country to do preservation work in due to certain government forms of bureaucratic mix-ups or lack of communication. There is not enough $$$ being set aside to do preservation work. many people are struggling just to make a living.
27 people found this review helpful.

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