FLASH
Shkruar nga Auron Tare
A few days ago, I wrote a few lines about the Gjirokastra Bazaar, the place where the pulse of the city once beat, but today, where the facade preserves the historical part, while the small shops look like a Dugaja with goods from the Far East.
As usual, I write for my own enjoyment and that of those who read. However, my note also had attentive readers from the administration and a person I appreciate and who, for this reason, deserves a written response.
"Auron, why do you see the glass empty? We have artisans in the Bazaar."
And, to convince me, he also sent me a photograph of a lady bent over a fire, a figure that, in any normal market, would be a symbol of a tradition kept alive and not a rare exception.
I, for my part, have no reason to deny the existence of these people. On the contrary, Gjirokastra, as the city of my ancestors, holds a special place in my heart, but that is precisely why it hurts me when the contrast with what should be the norm today has become the exception.
Since I don't like to speak with impressions, but with facts, I decided to do a simple count, walking the cobblestones.
There are about 140 commercial units in the Gjirokastra Bazaar (including those behind the Prefecture).
Of them, you can count on the fingers of your hand: an embroiderer, a stone carver, a woodcarver and a half (half is not yet registered), 3 ladies who deal with costumes and another lady with carpets.
There is also a young girl who tries to make homemade soap, as well as a very pleasant lady who makes visitors traditional Gjirokastra coffee, ground on stone and boiled in hot sand.
The others?
Cafes with chairs on the street, Turkish and Chinese souvenirs, and an endless universe of items that have no connection to Albania, but "proudly" bear its name.
Goods coming from China and Turkey have "Albania" stamped on them, a subtle irony that no one bothers to undo.
And so we return to my friend and to "Gota".
He worries that I see him blankly.
I worry that someone is trying to call it full.
Because, if out of 140 units only 8–9 have a real connection to craftsmanship, then we have less than 6% tradition and over 90% trade.
But, beyond the numbers, the problem is deeper.
The Gjirokastra Bazaar is not simply a space to sell cheap Eastern goods. It should be an institution of memory, a place where crafts are not exhibited as relics, but live on as professions.
The glass is empty, as the Bazaar's administration formula has proven to be a major failure, despite having the support of the Albanian-American Fund (AADF), which has created a kind of administration board called TID.
TID, dear friends who read, also operates in the Korça and Tirana Bazaars, where, neither more nor less, there are "markets" with vulgar goods and with no connection to the well-known tradition of Albanian handicrafts.
This TID of the Albanian-American Fund, supported by the respective municipalities, but also by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, which have not only a functional but also a moral duty, must create the space and support for the flourishing of Albanian handicrafts.
While TID is marketed as a success, essentially nothing is produced in the field of administration.
Nor new artisans.
Not even a trade school.
Not a single serious idea to turn tourism into monetary value for locals.
And this is perhaps the greatest irony, as tourists increase in the Bazaar, traditional authenticity diminishes.
In a country with little imagination, this would be a golden opportunity,
to open craft schools, to attract youth, to create a true "Made in Albania" brand, so that it would not be just a label, but also a great economic value for the city.
A little love and a little willpower would be enough.
But, as often happens, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, AADF, municipalities and others have chosen the easiest solution, Facade.
And so, to conclude the conversation with my friend.
Yes, dear friend, the glass is not empty but there are a few drops of water at the bottom of it.
But when a historic bazaar like Gjirokastra's, which should be Burim, turns into a wine cellar with spots, then we are not dealing with a glass half empty.
We are dealing with a glass that no one will fill.
Lini një Përgjigje