Kulturarv utan Gränser
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The Kulla-project
The kulla-project in Kosovo allowed Cultural Heritage without Bordersto extend its activities for the very first time outside and beyond Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the foundation started its initial project in 1996.
It was started in 2001 and has involved the conservation of five kulla buildings, so called because the name kulla is thought to mean "tower" and the building itself is composed of a tower-like stone structure with fortified features. During the hostilities in Kosovo between 1998 and 1999, a systematic destruction of cultural monuments took place, of which the worst damaged were the kullas. This particular type of building is special to the Kosovo-Albanian culture.
A traditional Kulla-building. Photo Cultural Heritage without Borders2003
Devastation of these unique buildings was also a great loss for the entire European cultural heritage. In spite of these houses being singled out in various international surveys of war-damaged monuments in Kosovo, almost no attempt to offer any aid relief from the international agencies had been made. However, in April 2001 Cultural Heritage without Borderswas asked whether it would undertake an extensive project with financial backing from the EU which involved reconstruction of five kullas in western Kosovo. The reason why the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) had turned to Cultural Heritage without Borders with this request was that work undertaken by our foundation in Bosnia-Herzegovina had attracted their attention. The total cost of the kulla-project is 8.2m SEK, of which 70% is financed by EAR and the rest by Sida, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
Aim
Besides wanting to reconstruct an important cultural heritage, the project also has aimed at increasing knowledge and skills in conservation as well as stressing the importance of culture in securing peace and understanding in the community. Parallel to the work on conserving the five kulla buildings, a training programme was set up involving all the various participants within the field of heritage management: capacity-building for local institutions, courses on conservation for every party concerned, information to politicians and the general public as well as establishing a legal framework around the project. Read more about the project's aims here.
Selection of the buildings
The five kullas were chosen partly because they represented different degrees of devastation: kulla Demukaj and kulla Oda e Junikut had been completely burnt out, kulla Kuklevce had been damaged by mortars, kulla é Shaban Gockes had been largely rebuilt and vandalised and kulla Osdautaj had been badly neglected.
Project management and general partners
Project manager Dick Sandberg, Cultural Heritage without Borders
Assistant project managers Sezair Gafurri and Sali Shoshaj, Prishtina
Heritage supervisor Professor Fejaz Drancolli, Institute for Protection of Monuments in Kosovo
Surveyors Structural engineers, Nebih Pllana (from the company Misin Misini) and Sezair Gafurri, Prishtina
Window and door joiner Mahagony, Prizren
Timber galleries and stairs Vraniqi, Gjakova
