National Artistic, Cultural And Sport Institutions

National Artistic, Cultural And Sport Institutions of Albania

National Museum of History in Tirana is the biggest and one of most important museums in Albania. It is situated inside a building constructed especially for this museum, which hosts about 3600 objects of the Albanian cultural heritage, over 4000 archeological items from the Paleolithic Age to Antiquity, almost 300 objects of the Medieval period like the emblems of the Albanian principalities, bas – relief and icons of great Albanian artists of the time, the golden epitaph of Gllavenica ordered in the 14th century by the Albanian Prince Gjergj Arianiti,

a special pavilion of icons of Byzantine and post Byzantine period, etc.

National Museum of “Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg” in Kruja, is situated inside the ancient castle of Kruja, former capital ton of the State of Arber, hosting original documents as well as reproductions of original ones in the history of Scanderbeg, or medieval national hero, and history of Albanians in the 15th century, collection of manuscripts, a church bell of 1642 and a sword of the 15th century, the pavilion of the library of Scanderbeg, hall of the Albanian Princes etc. The museum is rich in rare objects and mural paintings of considerable sizes.

The Museum of Scanderbeg burial in Lezhë was designed as a memorial site. The museum is located in the cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the venue of the foundation of the League of Lezhë of the Albanian Princes on 2nd of March 1444, and at the same time the place where our national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg was buried on the 17th of January 1468. The Museum hosts a painting of St. Nicholas, three windows and the original church door, the arcade over the main door of it, as well as other original documents of indoor decoration of the cathedral.

National Museum of Independence in Vlora is situated in the original building of the headquarters of the first Albanian Government in 1913 restored in its original manner. The building was declared a monument of culture and is preserved as a part of the cultural heritage of the country. The museum is completed with the original furniture and objects, documents, books and art objects related to that period and the event of Declaration of Independence. The office of Prime Minister Ismail Qemali and the hall of meetings of the Government are preserved in their original shape.

National Museum of Medieval Art is in Korça and is a unique institution of iconography in Albania. It hosts the most valuable heritage in this filed created by Albanian artists during five centuries of our history, like the distinguished painters Onufri, David Selenica, Kostandin Shpataraku, Zografi brothers, Kostandin Jeramonaku, Onufer Qiprioti etc, as well by foreign artists. The museum preserves and displays objects and copies of traditional heritage of Albania, silver and other metallic handicrafts, as well as decorations of the period between 17th and 19th century.

National Museum of Education is situated in Korça town in the building where the first school in the Albanian language was opened on 7th of March 1887 by Diamanti Terpo, who offered his house to open the school. The museum displays the history of the writings and publications in the Albanian language, and one of the most important items is a book in Albanian published in 1744 by Naum Veqilharxhi.

National Museum of Ethnography in Kruja is located in a building which dates 1764 and presents a variety of objects and relicts, wooden handicrafts, ceramics, wool and silk handmade clothes. These objects dating 60 to 500 years ahead, enlighten the economic and social organization of Albanians during the last three centuries.

National “Onufri” Museum in Berat, is situated inside the Cathedral of St. Mary, in the medieval castle of Berat. The museum hosts a rich collection of icons and other religious objects, mainly of the famous painter Joan Ceri, as well as textile and metallic handicrafts of the traditional heritage of Berat.

National Ethnographic Museum of Berat displays the cultural and cultural heritage of the everyday life of Berat and of the southern part of Albania, including particular objects for the production of olive oil. The road leading to the museum is a medieval one, reconstructed and preserved in its original form with little shops alongside.

National Park of Butrinti in Saranda was included in the list of world cultural heritage of UNECO. It is a first class heritage, which brings to our day the majestic beauties of ancient and medieval civilizations. Butrinti was revealed as an important archeological site by the British colonel W. Martin Leake, a military attaché to Ali Pashë Tepelena. In 1805 he recommended to Ali pasha to visit that site. In 1925 a young Italian archeologist Luigi Ugolini inspired by ancient history mentioned. Butrinti as the city where Enea stopped over after leaving Troy (Virgil). He was further motivated by the letters written by Cicerone to his friend Aticus the first who lived in Butrint, as well as from the legend that the Fourth Crusade in 1204 stopped there after long marching. Ugolini launched his archeological mission in Butrinti and was soon duly awarded by his findings documented in a publication of that time and later on displayed in a small museum in Butrinti. Butrinti is estimated to have been built during the Bronze era. It was expanded and developed during the VI century and later on became an important urban civilization center with fortifications, buildings, churches, cathedrals etc. It is proved to be twice as big as the discovery made by Ugolini. Nowadays Foundation “Butrinti” is the initiator of projects for the preservation as well as taking of new initiatives on projects to make Butrinti one of the most important confirmations of our national dignity while preserving this magical treasury of the past.

National Albanian Theatre in Tirana, is situated in the former building of Popular Theatre. It is the most important institution of this kind and with a consolidated tradition and a group of excellent artists performing in the theatre. It has a central hall show of 540 seats, while it is under construction a new hall of 130 seats, which will be equipped with modern technology.

The Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tirana was created in 1953 based on the Albanian Philharmonic Orchestra. The theater has played 117 opera and ballet shows, as well as thousands of instrumental and symphonic concerts. Roughly 260 artists work there including chorus, orchestra, musicians, and other performers and artists. Part of the Opera and Ballet Theatre is the Company of Folkloristic Dancing and Songs “Ensemble”.

National Movie Center in Tirana, is the public institution that finances the production of Albanian movies. It was created in 1952 under the name of Film Studio “New Albania”. “Scanderbeg” is the first Albanian movie, a motion picture produced in cooperation with Soviet Union. During its 45 years of life, the Film Studio produced over 300 artistic movies, 700 documentary films, and 150 cartoon animated movies. It is worth mentioning that the Film Studio “New Albania” was a highly politicized institution, which, with the exception of a few movies of good artistic and esthetic values, used to produce unrealistic movies.At present the production of Albanian movies is in deep crisis caused by critical lack of funds, outdated technology and tremendous difficulties in distributing the products. Many movie theatres have been closed. In 1991 Albania had 65 cinemas, while nowadays the number is reduced to 25. In 1999 in Tirana a new modern movie theatre of European standards called “Millennium”, started to operate. Opening of similar movie theatres in Elbasan and Shkodra soon followed the example in Tirana. The Albanian Public Television and private TV Channels, which operate in Albania, are unable to profit from the facilities offered by the existing studios to produce their own programs, shows, serial movies, advertisement, reducing and restricting thus their potential and the value of the National Movie Center. National Albanian Library in Tirana was founded in 1920 and is the most ancient institution of the Albanian State. I had a literary fund of 6 thousand books. In 1947 the fund was of more than 100 thousand books, while nowadays it has about 1 million items available including books, periodic publications, maps, microfilms etc. The library has organized several funds for the Archives, Antiquaries, Manuscripts, Maps, Albanology, Balkanology. Presently it has initiated the automatic management of new entries and processing of the literary fund as well as prepares and releases periodically the National Bibliography and Information Bulletin of the foreign publications related to Albanology and Balkanology subjects. National Albanian Library is located within the Building of Palace of Culture in the center of Tirana. It has five reading halls, some five thousand users, and over 100 thousand circulating materials per year.

National Art Gallery in Tirana is the most important institution for the preservation, conservation, restoration, study and display of visual art objects. Presently the National Art Gallery has 4132 paintings of over 500 artists. It has a video Projection Facility, a Conference Hall, an Artistic Education Atelier and a Library of more than 700 hundreds of publications dedicated to visual arts. As of 1998 the Gallery started the publication of “Pamoart”, which reflects the activity of the National Art Gallery and that of museums in Albania and abroad, as well as disseminates for the contemporary opinion on visible arts on Albanian and foreign critics.

National Institute of Cultural Monuments in Tirana, explores, studies, restores, protects the immovable (real estate) cultural heritage of the country. Its activities are preformed in close cooperation with 8 branches of ateliers in Shkodra, Durres, Tirana, Berat, Korçe, Vlore, Gjirokaster and Saranda. 2400 objects of antiquity and medieval period, like architectonic monuments, castles, fortifications, mural paintings, traditional buildings, law protected religious monuments etc. Butrinti, Apolonia, Durachium, Bylis, historical centers of Berati, Gjirokastra, Kruja, Korça’s bazaar and Shkodra are among the most relevant archeological and antique cultural monuments under the administration and supervision National Institute of Cultural Monuments. Until now UNESCO has listed and already protects only Butrinti as part of the world cultural heritage. The Institute has a rich archival system and a library of more than 5 thousand volumes. It published and releases the “Monuments” Magazine. In general the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage is facing extreme difficulties.

Sports

Physical - Sportive Education is part of our national Culture. All the forms of performing, objects and sport terrenes, professional and non-professional, of sports organizations and their leading organisms, schools and sport press, form the National Sports System. As a public performance it is leaded, stimulated and supported by the state.Sport in our country is organized in Sport societies called as Sport clubs and these are:Football club; Multi-Sports Clubs; Olympics Sports Clubs and the volunteer’s sports societies. Sport Clubs are organized according to their statutes and specific regulations.Are The Central Sport Organs, Albanian Sport Federations that managed sportive clubs organisation, as well as a non governmental organ, Albanian National Olympic Committee, that organizes and lead Olympic sport movement, directed in different sport disciplines and criteria’s required from International Olympic Committee.Besides sport’s administrative and directing organs close to state structures have been established and operate the Sport Central Advisory Forums.The Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, leads sport’s movement through the proper sport minister’s institution and close to that takes place the activity of the Center for Scientific Sport Research except Organization Directory and Sport Technical Directory.


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