By Judith Broeker | AiP Program Director
A house is only as strong as its roof, and a damaged roof can spell disaster for any house, new or old. Incredibly, the massive stone tower houses of Gjirokastra – 3 million stones strong – can be taken down by heavy rains in just one year if the roof is not sound.
Adventures in Preservation has been providing volunteers and technical assistance for conservation work at the Skenduli house for the past three years. Yet, the roof still has problems and there is no money available locally to complete repairs. This puts all the conservation work completed up to this point at risk. We can no longer relegate roof repair to our To Do list!
Please consider making a donation for the Skenduli house roof repair project. As the roof is repaired using traditional techniques, we will be showing other home and business owners that traditional repair is best for their historic building. This will lead to the creation of addition jobs for roofers and bring young local residents into the trade.
Crossing this item off our list will allow critical conservation work that is on hold – decorative woodwork repair, plaster repair, and the restoration of rare wall paintings – to get underway when AiP returns to the site in May of next year.
The project is already proving its worth. Tourists visit regularly, contributing to the steadily growing heritage tourism industry that is the path to improving the standard of living for this region.
Gjirokastra’s architectural heritage is vital to the people of Albania, and it is also a part of the common world heritage we all share. The loss of the Skenduli house would be a huge blow to the people of Gjirokastra and the people around the world who have worked so hard to save it.
Please donate today. One great way to make a donation AND experience the adventure of a lifetime is to join us in Gjirokastra in May! If making a donation online is best for you, we’ll keep you informed of all the great progress with photos that will make you feel like you’re there. Join our efforts!
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