Tirana organizes activities to promote history, tourism

The municipality of Tirana has organized a series of activities to promote its cultural and historical values as well as tourist elements on the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites that is held on April 18 each year.

Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, lawmakers of Tirana Region, local officials and scholars joined the activities on Sunday, visiting the ancient remains of Persopi in Petrela, 15 km south of Tirana, where Veliaj presented some information about this historic site.

Veliaj praised the efforts to promote not only the facilities and monuments in Tirana, but alao the values they carry.

Artan Shkreli, an architect, praised the interest shown by the municipality of Tirana to promote these values, saying the monuments should be preserved and protected.

"The protection of the monuments is more important than the restoration," Shkreli said.

The International Day for Monuments and Sites was proposed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on April 18 in 1982 and approved by the General Assembly of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1983.

Its aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, its vulnerability and the efforts required for its protection and conservation. Endi