Although the walls of the Old Town in Ulcinj collapsed on the southern side more than four years ago, it is not yet known when the reconstruction of the ancient fortress' ramparts could begin.
The Secretariat for Culture and Social Affairs of the Municipality of Ulcinj stated that it is important to comply with all necessary research in order to ensure the protection of cultural and historical heritage, while the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage points out that the project, prepared in accordance with the issued conservation conditions, has not yet been submitted to them for approval.
The Ministry of Finance previously confirmed that they had allocated 30 thousand euros to the Municipality of Ulcinj for the development of a conservation project.
However, the southernmost city said at the time that it was not possible to begin developing a conservation project because during preparations, the remains of old tombs, and perhaps even a necropolis, were discovered at the site of the collapsed walls, which further complicates the entire process.
Current Acting Secretary for Culture and Social Affairs Merita Subašić Šabanović She confirmed that the development of the conservation project is in the initial phase.
"The project 'Development of a conservation project for rehabilitation and implementation of rehabilitation measures on the collapsed part of the southern ramparts of the Old Town of Ulcinj' is currently in the initial phase of implementation. Namely, before developing the project itself, it is first necessary to carry out geological research on the location in question, followed by archaeological research. Only then can the development of a conservation project for rehabilitation and implementation of rehabilitation measures be initiated. Given that this is a cultural and historical asset on the territory of our municipality, it is important that we adhere to all the previously mentioned research in order to ensure the protection of cultural and historical heritage," writes Subašić Šabanović in response to the question of "Vijesti" about how far the implementation of this project has come.
The walls of the Old Town on the south side collapsed in January 2021, due to heavy rains and accumulated rubble and waste.
"In addition to the ramparts, erosion is also eroding archaeological layers that date back to the time the city was used from the 4th century BC to the end of Ottoman rule. In the profile created by the collapse of the wall, in addition to the archaeological layers, the remains of tomb structures were also observed. Walled tombs are also visible to the west of the newly built building, which indicates that there is a necropolis in this area," said the then Secretary for Culture, Sports, Youth and Social Affairs. Artan Cobaj.
The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage recalled that, upon receiving notification of the collapse of the ramparts, their expert team visited the site in question in January 2021 and recorded the damage. They added that all relevant institutions were informed of the situation on the ground, attention was drawn to the alarming nature of the situation, and a request was made for assistance in initiating the necessary procedures.
The Administration reiterated that, at the request of the Municipality of Ulcinj, on May 24, 2021, they issued conservation conditions for the purposes of developing urban planning and technical conditions for the rehabilitation of the collapsed part of the southern rampart wall, on cadastral parcel no. 2360/1 and 3606/3 KO Ulcinj.
"Unfortunately, despite all our efforts to systematically overcome this situation, as evidenced by the Administration's documentation and several urgent requests submitted to the Municipality of Ulcinj, we inform you that to date, the project prepared in accordance with the conservation conditions issued by this body has not been submitted to the Administration for approval," the Administration's response to questions from "Vijesti" states.
The Ministry of Finance, or the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, as previously announced by "Vijesti", through the annual Program for the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property for 2022, allocated 30.000 euros to the Municipality of Ulcinj for the implementation of the project "Development of a conservation project for the rehabilitation and implementation of rehabilitation measures on the collapsed part of the southern ramparts of the Old Town of Ulcinj". They recalled on that occasion that, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property, the owner-holder of a cultural property is obliged to preserve, properly use, regularly maintain and timely implement other prescribed or established protection measures, which also applies to the walls of the Old Town of Ulcinj.
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