The odyssey was erected under the nose of the state empire of illegal constructions within the Hundreds Forty Fortress. For five years, the responsible institutions have not reacted to the constructions made on Kala, which have been under seizure for several months, thus selling the cultural monuments as a nightclub.
Writes investigim.al
The castle of Tirana is heading towards the disappearance of illegal constructions carried out during the last years in this archaeological area. Today, if it goes along the “Murat Toptani” road it is difficult to identify this monument. Constructions done illegally near the Castle have almost completely covered the monument, where it is merely a muddy wall still on the side of the road. And if not enough, the medieval fortress of Tirana risked being sold as a nightclub, throwing hundreds of years of history that carries this cultural monument of the capital.
All constructions made in the Castle area as a restaurant “Valle Verde”, “Folie Terrace” club, “Mumja” club and a part of Cinema Millenium are without permission and owned by businessman Alban Xhillari, known in Tirana for connections his close recently until recently with Prime Minister Edi Rama. The Municipality of Tirana told investigim.al that no permits were granted for construction development within the castle area over the years. Nonetheless, these constructions were carried out under its territorial jurisdiction and a few meters away from local government. Initially, around 2001, the Reconstruction of Children’s Children’s Center started to be transformed into a cinema known today as Cinema Millennium 2. The company “IDA Sh.a”, owned by biznesi Alban Xhillari, benefited from renting the Children’s Center for Children a 20-year period from the Ministry of Economy. The lease terms concerned the use of the existing building, but the investor expands the entrance to Millennium Cinema 2.
In 2007, Xhillari signed an agreement with the heir to the King’s Royal Throne, Leka Zogu I, to develop some of the Royal Family’s property within the Fortress of Tirana. Two years later, on July 27, 2009, the National Council of Restoration (KKR) signed 3 projects for businessman Xhillari, respectively: recreational complex in “Black Field”; retraining of the Millenium garden; construction of the restaurant “Valle Verde”. The approval of these projects is held by the secretary of the National Restoration Council, Valter Shtylla and then Minister of Culture at the time, Ardian Turku. Contacted by investigim.al, Pillar stated that she had initially launched the firm and was no longer aware of what had happened. According to him, the constructions were made when he had retired.
While former Culture Minister Ardian Turku, asked by investigim.al, clarified that the builder had submitted about 7 projects for the development of this area, but only 3 were approved. According to him, projects should be implemented first passed by the Municipality of Tirana and issued relevant permits. “A decision has been made after many observations have been made on the idea presented for the development of this area and it was not a construction permit, because to pass on the construction permit each part of this project idea for the development of the Tirana Castle and adjacent to the Castle will had to be translated into concrete projects etc., to go to local government and so on, “Turku said.
Adoption of 3 projects by KKR would suffice for businessman Xhillari to launch a series of constructions within the archaeological site of the Castle. Thus, during the post-election period of 2009, “IDA Sh.a” had collapsed the former “Kalana” bar and in its place had begun the construction of the restaurant “Valle Verde”, where according to the minutes of that time was evidenced one layer concrete set over the castle’s historic wall. Former Minister of Culture says the builder had submitted a project for the restoration of the bar “Castle”, but not building from the beginning of a restaurant. “For my knowledge, this venue has nothing to do with that decision that has been taken because it has run out of any criteria. He has not been subjected to other necessary steps to go to construction, has not received certain permits, has been alienated from the initial permit, “explains former Culture Minister Ardian Turku. Investigim.al has the request-suspension of the Ministry of Culture to the National Urban Inspectorate and the Urban Inspectorate of Tirana for termination of the works for restaurant “Valle Verde”. The claim also demolished businessman Xhillari’s claims that he had received 3 projects from the National Council of Restoration.
A few months later, in March 2010, a memo drafted by the Directorate of Cultural Heritage drew attention to the indifference of central and local institutions. In a memo, a copy available from investigim.al, says that the Regional Directorate of National Cultural Tirana has criminalized the National Urban Inspectorate for non-compliance with the work being carried out without permission at the Castle of Tirana. This was also the last institutional response until the beginning of 2015. During this 5-year period, builder Alban Xhillari set up an illegal investment empire within the Fortress of Tirana. There were two of the biggest clubs in the capital, “Mumja” and “Folie Terrace”, both of which were constructed without permission. Also above the ancient wall of the Tirana Castle was built two storeys “Valle Verde”. For these investments, businessman Xhillari had taken a substantial loan at one of the second tier banks. This loan was not settled and by the end of 2015, the “Folie Terrace” built on the territory of the Tirana Fortress was put under sequestration by an executive company for the unpaid obligation of 1.3 million euros. Already the fate of this area of the Tirana Castle remains unclear whether it will be sold as a nightclub or will remain the capital as part of the cultural heritage.
The Royal Family
Constructions within the Castle area are also made with the involvement of the Royal Family having its nearby building. The Royal Family, which owns some properties around the Tirana Castle, on 06.04.2007, concluded a business deal with entrepreneur Alban Xhillari. Parts of this contract were some investments within the cultural monument area, in order to generate revenue. Former Minister of Culture, Ardian Turku, says that businessman Xhillari used this contract with Leka Zogun to seek development permission in the area of the Tirana Castle. “The Royal Family had exclusively granted the right of development to a representative who was a businessman who was dealing with construction. Nonetheless, whether private property or private property development rules are such that they should be approved with permission from state institutions, “Turku says.
Referring to the contract, businessman Alban Xhillari would invest 5.4m euros in the properties of the Royal Family in Tirana and Durrës. The contract included joint ownership in the Tirana Castle as well as in Royal Villas in Durres, but after the businessman had benefited the sum of 5.4m euros through investment income. During 2007-2009, Xhillari covers all the expenses for maintaining and maintaining the properties of Leka Zog. The businessman even helps the Royal Family to privatize the Children’s Cultural Center, now returning to Millennium Cinema 2. Thus, Leka Zogu becomes the owner of Cinema Millennium 2 for a while until early 2009, but then this asset passes on owned by Alban Xhillari, versus the 1m-euro reward that the Royal Family benefits.
Investigim.al contacted representatives of the Royal Family if, in the deal with businessman Alban Xhillari, illegal constructions were planned, but this was denied. “For businessman Alban Xhillari has been reporting for illegal constructions in the Tirana Castle area for years, but in most cases the institutions did not react,” said the Royal Family. Regarding the buildings on the park in front of the Millennium Cinema, the Royal Family says it is a property of their own, but because of the cultural value it has passed to the state. “Despite this, citizen Alban Xhillari has used to build the club ‘Folie Marine’. It’s not known whether he has been granted permission, but this space is part of the cultural monument and can not be turned into a discotheque, “the Royal Family’s official response continues.
The Royal Family during 2007-2009 was involved in an internal conflict where Prince Leka opposed the actions of his father, Leka Zog, for deals with businessman Alban Xhillari. Encouraged by family conflict, but also frustration with businessman, Leka Zogu initiates a court trial in 2009 for termination of the cooperation contract. But this contract signed with businessman Xhillari and then its cancellation will be returned to the Boomerang Royal Family. After 6 years of court cessation, the Court of Appeals in Tirana, headed by Alaudin Malaj, upheld the First Instance Decision imposing on 05.02.2015 that Prince Leka, the heir to the royal properties, pay the 3.3 million euros to the businessman Alban Xhillari. This amount was accounted for as part of the investment that the businessman Jillari had carried out on the properties of the Royal Family, mainly in the area of the Fortress of Tirana. After winning 3.3m euros in the beginning of 2015, Xhillari expands again the construction of the Castle of Tirana, this time on the surface of the garden. The Institute of Monuments of Culture notes this illegal situation and suspends the works, even fines the investor.
Several months passed and specialists from the Regional Directorate of Culture announced that the Tirana Castle’s Archaeological Zone was again undergoing unauthorized works. This directorate addressed the Tirana Police and the National Inspectorate of Territorial Defense with the letter dated 14.05.2015, where it was announced that the “Folie” entity is carrying out activities of unauthorized constructional character and it is required the taking of detention measures and the imposition of fines to the subject. Part of the denunciation against Alban Xhillar is done by the Royal Family, which until recently gave the builder the exclusive right to use the territory within the Fortress of Tirana. The National Inspectorate for Territorial Defense reacted after 3 months by filing criminal “IDA Sh.a” while demolishing the illegal object. Meanwhile, the ICTY did not take any action to collapse illegal constructions within this territory.
Failed Restoration
For the connoisseurs of cultural monuments, the Castle of Tirana carries some special features, adding to the fact that it is among the few historic buildings of the city. “It is not an object of tremendous value but Tirana has it. There is some kind of verticality, there are those big blocks, there is a kind of pompousness in itself and is not an ugly monument, it’s beautiful. Ultimately a capital will try to have their own. At the time of communism, unfortunately the old bazaar that was destroyed that could prove that this city was born developed, was created as a town born of nothingness, from clay, “says Apollon Barce, who has directed Institute of Monuments of Culture.
In May 2009, the European Commission funded a project for the restoration of the Medieval Castle of Tirana. The project included a bridge over the tower, signal placement as well as works to rehabilitate water, electricity and telephone infrastructure. After a year of work, the European Commission raised concerns about the implementation of the restoration project for the Tirana Castle. At the same time, in 2009, the interest to restore the Tirana Castle had also appeared in the biznesi Alban Xhillari. He presented the National Restoration Council with 3 projects that were then approved. Part of the projects was the restoration of the former “Castle” bar, but in fact this environment collapsed and on the walls of the Fortress restaurant rose. “What is above the walls of the Castle is completely wrong. The mistake they made. When I was there I could take that local out of the place, it was also done incomprehensibly. They have approved something that should not be “, says Apollon Barce.
On 16 June 2010, the European Commission finances the second project of restoration of the Castle of Tirana, this time with the changes proposed by the National Council of Restoration. For Professor Barçen, the first restoration project was flawed despite EC spending being spent. “For me it was a half-fool project, where he brought out the foundations of the Castle and looked at it with glass and wood, while being categorically banned to intervene on the foundations. At least I canceled this, “says Barce, who during the second project was in charge of the NRC.
The castle of Tirana was a Mansio-Mutatio street Egnatia road station. The most ancient testimony of the capital is located exactly where the old and new roads connecting Tirana and then all Albania, the north to the south, the east to the west were crossed and crossed. After 1814 the castle of Tirana became the residence of its new rulers, the Toptans from Kruja, who built two houses one for housing and the other waiting for today. Throughout the centuries. XX when he loses part of the surrounding walls and almost does not allow to be understood from the remains, his full stylistic formulation. The Castle of Tirana is the “Archaeological Area” of category A, promulgated by a government decision in 2009.
The students helped Besar Bajraktari and Olsjan Topalli
* This project is financially supported by the United States Embassy’s Democracy Commission’s Small Grants Program in Tirana. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed are of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of State./Marre: investigim.al
