At an international conference, the new project of the Museum of Islamic Art and Heritage was presented, which will be placed in the famous building of the ‘Saraje’ in the centre of Tirana. Prime Minister Edi Rama, present at the event, described this museum as an “added value for the capital” and a historical testimony that fills the gap in the interpretation and preservation of Islamic cultural heritage in Albania. The project aims to serve as a “necklace of art” together with the Theatre and the Gallery, enriching the cultural offer of Tirana and reaffirming the connection of Islamic heritage with European and Mediterranean culture.

 

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Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama:

Good evening, everyone!

I believe that this very beautiful initiative does not need many words from my side, especially after the interesting and well-studied presentation by the architect. I am convinced that here the proper synergy has been created with the boys of the collection, with the architect, on the other side with the Municipality of Tirana and with the Ministry of Culture, so all the necessary forces are in place to finally build in Tirana a missing space of Islamic art and culture.

It is a missing space also for a very beautiful reason which the architect explained, that Islamic culture and art are an integral part of the culture of the Mediterranean, of the culture of Europe, and despite the fact that this museum in its size is modest, compared with the examples you saw there of very pompous museums of Islamic art and culture, but I believe that it is necessary.

On the other side I believe that we are lucky that these forces have joined and we are given the possibility to materialize this initiative in this, precisely this building, as the nucleus of the new museum which as the architect explained, will be composed of this building and of another contemporary building, and we are lucky because not only will we return to its complete identity and we will restore as it should the Sarajet building, but we can have this museum right in the heart of Tirana.

Practically this museum is added to a necklace which is going lengthening and enriching with the New National Theatre, with the National Gallery, with the new National Museum, with the “Besa” Museum which is in the right and which will echo to the glorious history of the salvation of the Jews by the Albanians, where regardless of religious affiliations, Albanians took under protection other people with another faith.

And further on, I believe that also the connection of all this part with the other part where we have the Pyramid and afterwards the other museum which is under construction with the unique collection of the late Artan Lame, give us the possibility to see the tomorrow of Tirana rich with “stations” of art, with “stations” of culture, with “stations” of history, which will go on being added.

What is important in this case is that this is a key “station” of our history, of our history as a nation, of our history as our city, of the capital of Albania. So I believe that the undeniable talent of the architect who is also the author of another very beautiful museum, now also much visited, the National Museum Marubi of Photography in Shkodër, who is also the designer of the new National Museum in the existing building, but with important changes, with important architectural interventions, is a guarantee. And I am very glad that Hernandes is also working for another museum in Shkodër, the museum which is practically dedicated to the martyrdom of the Catholic clergy, and thus, in a certain way, we are completing little by little a missing mosaic of the history of religion in Albania, which will have its place without discussion also in the new National Museum.

Thank you very much for the invitation.

The point is to have a living museum, where, alongside the permanent collection, which also moves, there will also be exhibition activities, performance activities, discussion activities, and the presence of the Institute in this initiative, in my opinion, is a guarantee for the longevity of the museum as a living museum.

These are all, afterwards, all the aspects which will be treated also institutionally to give the proper form to this cooperation and to make it sustainable and long-term.

Thank you very much!