The historical landscape in Albania. Ottoman tradition and challenges of the new expansion

Albanian historical landscape is characterized by the strong ottoman influence. The most important old cities have inherited the urban and land organization typical of the Ottomans. In the two UNESCO’s cities of Berat and Gjirokastra is possible to understand the rules of urban organism and its links with nature and the countryside. The Balkan cities under the Ottoman influence, are the result of a continues urban balance between the nature and the settlement typology. The Albanian cities are not based on the module of the plot of the single house but on the dimension of the neighbourhood (mëhalla). The Ottoman city is the result of juxtaposition of these different and contrasting parts that are unified by the landscape and nature. Nowadays the Albanian old cities are under protection by the governmental institutions, which take care about the buildings and the monuments inside the protected area. However the preservation of the authenticity of the city is connected with some other elements (open space, nature, landscape) that seem less important but that represent the “glue” between neighbourhoods. These connected elements are also the most exposed to risk due to the non protection by the State and interest by private persons for the construction of new buildings. The open space and the landscape had been wildly transformed just out the boundary of the historical centre. So the challenge is how to preserve the historical landscape of the Albanian cities and the simple pleasure of observing nature and the environmental sensitiveness that represents the local culture