Seminar/Workshop: Development of maintenance plans and programmes

Gjirokastra, Albania, 08 December – 11 December 2009

A seminar/workshop ‘Development of maintenance plans and programmes’ was held from 08 December to 10 December 2009 in Gjirokastra, Albania under the auspices of the Cultural Heritage without Borders. Approximately 20 experts from the region attended the seminar/workshop. Medina Hadžihasanović-Katana, associate for architectural heritage, attended the seminar/workshop as representative of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

The seminar/workshop is a part of the Programme 'Gjirokastra 2009-2011'. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce the procedure of drafting the maintenance plans and programmes to the experts.

The seminar was officially opened on 08 December 2009, when a formal dinner was held in the Hotel Cajupi, where the seminar took place on 09 and 10 December 2009.

The working part of the seminar was opened by Mrs. Britta Olofsson from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Albania. The first day of the seminar included the presentations. The presentations were held by Dick Sandberg, Genc Samimi, Arben Bicouku, Cola Raymond, Elenita Roshi, Luciano Bojaxhi, Alber Kasi, Jelena Milosavljević, Bojana Mihaljević. Dick Sandberg talked about the process of drafting and application of a maintenance programme. Apart from referring to the legislation of Sweden, Sandberg also touched upon the issues relevant to the programme of maintenance of the Chinese Pavilion at Drothingholm near Stockholm (World Heritage Site) and its practical use.

A visit to the historic core of Gjirokastra was organized in the morning of the second day. In the afternoon of the same day there was a workshop moderated by Dick Sandberg and Lejla Hadžić. The first part of the workshop included the talks about practical binder as a basis for producing a maintenance plan and programme, with all necessary elements that such a document has to contain, and a presentation of the maintenance programme for the Handanija mosque in Prusac. The Binders used at the workshop were handed out to all participants. During the second part of the workshop, the participants were divided into four groups and worked together on drafting a maintenance programme. On behalf of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, Medina Hadžihasanović-Katana did the presentation of the reconstructed mosque in Vitina, for which we prepared a draft maintenance programme in the course of the workshop.