The city with over a thousand windows has counted 16 years in UNESCO, as part of the cultural heritage list since July 2008.

Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, stated that “the rare architecture of nearly 2500-year-old Berat, the history it carries, its exceptional cultural and historical values, have long been attracting visitors from around the world.”

“The Berat Castle, its ancient churches and mosques, the National Iconographic Museum Onufri, besides being some of the city’s attractions, are also a rare testament to the harmonious coexistence of cultures and traditions throughout history,” Gonxhja added.

On July 8, 2008, Berat was registered on the UNESCO List by the World Heritage Committee at the conference held in Canada.

Berat was recognized as a rare example of typical Ottoman architecture.

According to UNESCO, Berat is a witness to the coexistence of different religious and cultural communities over the centuries.

Criterion 3 of the reasons for Berat’s inclusion in UNESCO explicitly states that Berat and Gjirokastra are outstanding examples of the diversity of urban societies in the Balkans and the longevity of ways of life that are almost disappearing today. Criterion 4 states that the two cities of Berat and Gjirokastra are exceptional examples of different types of monuments and urban vernacular housing during the classical Ottoman period, continuing with the medieval cultures that preceded them.

Today, Berat inherits 210 museum objects, of which 150 are movable objects. Among them, 60 are first-category monuments and the rest are second-category.

/k.s/