Days Three and Four: Gjirokastra

Our training continued this morning with more expert presentations on restoration work.

Lejla Hadzic, Regional Coordinator, CHwB, "Introduction to the Field of Conservation"

Rand Eppich, Architect, Kalam, ""Methods of Understanding--Surveying Techniques"

Dick Sandberg, Architect

Not pictured:  Dr. Eleftheria Tsakanika, Professor National Technical University; Athens, Greece, "Wood as a Structural Material," and Arianna Briganti, Lecturer and Facilitator, CHwb Albania, "Everybody Has the Right to Enjoy Cultural Heritage."

Break outside CHwB office

We toured the Skendali House, the best in Albania, built in 1700s. It has 64 windows, 40 doors, and 9 chimneys.  Descendents of the original family gave us a cooking demonstration and tasting of traditional Albanian rice balls.

Third and Fourth generation Skendalis.

Rice balls cooking in oil over fire in kitchen.

In the evening we had a performance of traditional Albanian singing in front of the Skendali House.

Isopolyphonic singing

We toured the historic Byzantine church at Labova e Kryquit (Labova of the Cross) and the ancient city of Antigonea with lunch at the best restaurant in the area, Kujtimi.

St. Mary's church in Labova e Kyquit, one of the oldest surviving churches in Albania

Frescoes inside St. Mary's church

Virgin Mary to whom the church is dedicated

Iconostasis of gilded wood

Tour guide, Herando (left) with Igor, Fulbright Alumni from Dominican Republic

Our tour guide had excavated and found a coin in Antigonea, founded in 295 B.C. by the Molossian King Pyrrhus and named after his wife.

House of Peristyle

We visited our work sites and discussed how to restore them.  We had four different projects: Xhaxhiu House,working on a wood door and its stone roof; Sinani House, working with plaster on the exterior; a stone arch, working with stone, and guests houses, proposals for home owners who want to use their monuments as B&Bs or guest houses.  My group worked at Xhaxhui House.

Cailin drawing the roof of Xhxhiu House

Genta Deva, volunteer site coordinator,and Lan Bajrami, craftsman