On july 19, 2011, Albanian Prime Minister Berisha celebrated the inauguration of a 100 million ALL project by declaring “There is no country in the world with such a small territory and such a large cultural heritage.” The project aims to restore, upgrade and modernize the Archaeology Museum in Durres.
While there is no apparent plan available, we have found a picture on the MTKRS website which shows dignitaries cutting the ribbon at a celebration to inaugurate construction…
Below are a few images of the exterior work being undertaken, as of August 2, 2011, two weeks after the PM’s inauguration of the beginning of work. Work is expected to finish by February, 2012.
Renovation progress - August 2, 2011
Renovations - August 2
Exterior - August 2
The museum boasts the largest collection of archaeological finds in Albania. The museum displays articles of Roman, Greek, Classical, late antique and early medieval eras, which were excavated from Durres and the surrounding regions.
Below are a few images of the interior of the museum, which remains open during construction for an admission of 300 lek.
Semi-repairs to the base of the wall, likely caused by humidity and moisture.
Paint peeling.
Improvements are to include upgrading plumbing, electrical work, and a state of the art security system.
According to a release from the Council of Ministers, the project includes the construction of a library and conference hall, however they state that the reconstruction of the museum is to end in the fall of 2012, as oppose to media outlets who state completion will be February 2012.
Aside from general aesthetic and structural repairs, there is a major need to develop and/or implement certain display elements. The image below shows how fragments are held up using the “ol’ screw balance” technique.
Screw Balance
Tri-screw balance
Although the museum is the largest in the country of its kind and houses many important archaeological objects, the museum is not an independent institution and is operated by the Regional Directorate of Durres Monuments. It is supported by the Albanian Institute of Archaeology and the Academy of Sciences and will likely become a national museum upon its completion.
The museum was established in 1951, and now has a collection of about 20,000 objects, many of which are ‘stored’ outside.
There is also the issue of what will be done to the surrounding property, as well as the apparent “overflow” collection, sitting outside in what appears to be a swamp.
Literally an "overflow" collection, sitting in a swamp.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth & Sport claims that the space around the museum is “preserved for big objects of stone and marble in the form of an archaeological park, organized according to the periods”.
From MTKRS
On October 2, Balkanweb.com reported that the Director of the Regional Directorate of Monuments, Ermion Arapi has confirmed that “capitals, columns, and objects that are deposited in the yard will be placed under a project developed at the Institute for the Protection of Monuments.”
The museum renovations are a part of a $20 million (US) fund for the protection and restoration of cultural monuments, aimed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence.
A closer look at the data on the website of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sport reveals several shortcomings, at least in transparency:
According to the website as of August 2011, under the section of material heritage, there is no available Action Plan, no Policies and no listed Cultural Monuments in Durres, and no apparent info-sheet regarding reconstruction.
Also, the section entitled Programs and Services has no information.
