The National Institute of Cultural Heritage announced the completion of conservation and restoration work on the mural paintings of the Church of T’Shëlbuemi in Rubik.

Thanks to the EU4Culture program and the work of restorer Edlira Çaushi and her team, conservation and restoration efforts were carried out over the past few months, transforming the eastern section of the church. Specialists from the Artworks Sector of the Institute closely supervised the progress. A significant discovery during the restoration was the uncovering of mural fragments on the southern and northern walls, harmoniously complementing the entire core of the historic church.

The Church of T’Shëlbuemi, also known as the Church of Rubik, is a prominent icon of Albanian Christianity. The medieval Benedictine monastery is strategically located on a visible rocky terrain near a natural bend of the Fan River, overlooking the town of Rubik.

Historians recognize the abbey of T’Shëlbuemi and its parish church by the same name. Formerly Franciscan and part of the Lezha Diocese, the church is now included in the newer diocese of Rrëshen. Mentioned in historical records 34 times between 1166 and 1972, the Church of the Redeemer has undergone several radical phases of reconstruction and restoration, significantly altering its original appearance from the late 19th century until the early 21st century.

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