The “Onufri” Iconographic Museum in Berat continues to attract a high number of visitors.

Each day, hundreds of tourists from around the world explore its rare collections.

In a social media post, the Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, praised the museum’s impact. He said “Onufri” offers a rich spiritual and artistic experience. Visitors can enjoy rare icons and multilingual audio guides.

The museum is located in the heart of the Kala neighborhood, inside the Cathedral of the “Dormition of Saint Mary.” This church is the largest in the castle quarter.

It once served as Berat’s main cathedral and formed part of a larger religious complex alongside the Metropolitan buildings. Today, only the church remains.

The church was rebuilt in 1797 on the foundations of an older one. It functioned as a cathedral until 1967, when religious sites came under state control during Albania’s atheist reform.

The museum’s collection includes 200 selected objects. These come from churches and monasteries across the Berat district.

Most are icons, accompanied by a group of liturgical objects.

The artworks date from the 14th to the early 20th century.

Among the artists featured are Onufri, his son Nikolla, Onufër Qiprioti, David Selenica, Kostandin Shpataraku, Adam Kristo, and members of the Çetiri family, along with many anonymous painters.

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