TIRANA, August 17/ATA/ Minister of Culture Elva Margariti considered today the deliberate arson attack against “Saray” building in Tirana a criminal act against the cultural heritage.
Margariti encouraged the relevant authorities to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.
Minister Margariti said that under the created circumstances, the building will be expropriated with an accelerated procedure.
“The Ministry of Culture supports the Municipality of Tirana in the initiative to transform this building into a cultural, public object, preserving its unique values. We thank for the immediate intervention the employees of the Fire Protection and Rescue Police, who fought against the flames, the employees of the State Police and the Municipal Police, the Municipality of Tirana, the employees of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage, but also every common citizen who has contributed to extinguish the fire and will help to clarify this unprecedented event “, said Margariti.
Margariti reminded that for its architectural and historical values, the building of the XIX century, known as “Saray”, in the street “Alqi Kondi” of Tirana, was declared a cultural monument of category I in 1973.
“Since the early hours of today the relevant authorities reported the suspicion of a deliberate arson attack so that to devalue the building and alienate its function. This building, which served as the first National Library, was state-owned until 2000, when it was returned to its former owners.
“Recently, the Municipality of Tirana had started the expropriation procedures, to turn it into a public cultural institution”, she said./m.m/j.p/p.s./
