Specialists of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in cooperation with the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the Faculty of History and Philology as well as the Lushnja Municipality have discovered a new archaeological site in the village of Zgjanë.

Recent excavations in the Lushnja region unearthed a Roman thermal complex and its auxiliary structures. This remarkable discovery marks one of the most significant archaeological milestones in the area in recent decades.

National Institute of Cultural Heritage specialists will continue their research and are expected to bring new data on the history of the area, potentially adding a new cultural monument and an important attraction for cultural tourism. /j.p/p.s./

Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja said that following the discovery, archaeologist Prof. Luan Përzhita drafted the Archaeological Excavation Report of the Rescue, which paved the way for the conservation and detailed study of the findings.

“This Roman villa represents a rare asset for the cultural heritage of Durrës and all of Albania and is comparable in quality to those discovered in southern and central Italy”, said Gonxhja.

In order to preserve and promote this asset, Spanish architect Toni Gironès has engaged in the redesign of the school, building a concept where education and heritage are intertwined. The new project will enable the public exhibition of the findings, integrating them into the school infrastructure.

This is a unique development model that aims at the urban and educational transformation of the city, as well as the promotion of cultural tourism.

Albanian institutions, including the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, the Institute of Archaeology and the Municipality of Durrës, will closely monitor the documentation, protection and inclusion of the findings in the new project.

“This is a concrete example of the vision for integrated urban, educational and tourist development”, concluded Minister Gonxhja. /r.e/p.s./

In context of “Heritage Days”, Minister of Culture Elva Margariti highlighted this fact through an online post saying that the impressive results of a thermal bath from the Roman period are coming to light.

This special discovery will be an added value for the Belsh area. People will get to know more on the history and the area will have a new archaeological settlement.

The discovered object is thought to be part of a rural complex of the “Villa Rustica” type, dated between c. III-IV AD. The restorers of the Institute are working on the conservation and restoration project of the monument, with the aim of restoring it into a place worth visiting.

Located only 3 km away from the city of Belsh, in the village of Rrasë, this settlement carries apart from the ruins of a Roman building from the second century also the presence of ancient bones. These bones prove that there was early life and civilization in this area. The term of the second century, is a resort and residence of the caravans of the time and so far in Albania things like these have been identified in Butrint and Dyrrah. /j.p/p.s./

Margariti announced that at the request of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Tirana and after the approval of the project designed by the relevant bodies, there were launched archaeological surveys on two routes around the Mosaic area, on its western side.

As a result of the excavations, the continuation of the walls of the auxiliary premises of the Roman villa (end of the 3rd century – beginning of the 4th century), which were used for wine fermentation, came to light, together with a drainage channel. . Other excavations are expected to be carried out on the south side,” she said.

Following drafting of the report on the results of the surveys, the case will be reviewed at the National Council of Material Cultural Heritage, where it will be decided whether there will be further archaeological excavations.

The mosaic of Tirana is identified as an important part of the culture of the capital and all of Albania. This project aims to make this point visitable and return it to the residents of Tirana and visitors.

The discovery of this mosaic was made during the communist period when in 1972 the decision was made to build a residential block and by chance this wonderful work came to light. This mosaic contains floral and geometric motifs as well as typical motifs of early Christianity, such as stylized braid, fish rosettes. The mosaic is also a very significant example of the urban antiquity of this territory. /j.p/p.s./