Berati, a city in south central Albania.
Located near the Osum River, Berat is the commercial center for the
surrounding agricultural region in which tobacco, grapes, and fruits
are grown. The town of Berat, overshadowed to the east by mount Tomorr
(2400m), is built on an ancient Illyrian dwelling site, which goes back
to the sixth century B.C. Its innumerable monuments and beautiful and
characteristic architecture of its houses have proclaimed Berat, a
museum town.
Much of the
city is built on terraces in the steep hills overlooking the Osum. The
city has many historical monuments, including mosques dating from the
15th to 19th centuries and an 18th-century seven-arched stone bridge. A
13th-century citadel built along a ridge high above the river gorge
houses a museum and several old churches.
The castle and its fortified walls are interrelated just like a mosaic
where various stages of buildings such as " Kala ", " Mangalem ", "
Gorice " which are settled on hills units of the toun make up an
impressive example of our genius creative people.
Gorica, on the far side of the river ; Mangalem, on the fortress side
of the river; and the residential quarter within the fortress (known as
Kalaja). The houses on the fortress side which date from the
seventeenth century, have typically two stores, with the upper storey
slightly overhanging and rich wood carving within. With their wide
facades and large windows, they seem to be built almost on top of one
another, giving Berat its name of : The town of a thousand windows.
Berati has a population of 37,000 inhabitants. The hills and the mountain slopes around
Berat, are planted with fig trees olive trees and other fruits.
Cult buildings and important monuments are well-known for a prominent
architecture. Their foundations belong to paleochristian buildings.
Monuments that preserve a complete view are of XIV centuries .
Within these monuments there are some masterpieces of our distinguished
painters just like : Onufri, Nikolla , Qipriot , Cetir and many other
nameless persons, whereas the institution fund of cultural monuments in
Berat preserve abaut 400 religions objects and icons which in the
greatest part of them as the result of the missing of financial sources
are still unrestored.
Mosques
and small mosques are brilliant examples in their rising skill of
architecture execution, but in particular the iterior part of ceilings
and stained glass windows too.
Institute affilation of cultural
monuments in Berat is an institution that, restores and propogates all
these inheritable values.
Museums
such as Onufri, Ethnographic and Historic preserve and devote prior
importance to this treasury placing the bases of a cultural tourism.
Being proposed as a world property, Berati is going to be sooner under
protection. There is very developed home tourism in Berat where foreigner's
preference is the characteristic native kitchen.
The distance of some main sea' beaches is about 80 km away. Taking in
consideration the conditions of our country its difficult for a further
preservation of monuments and art’s works so Berati needs a tecnichal
assistence of developed countries.
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