British Embassy appeal for protection of cultural heritage
British Embassy expresses concern about the destruction of two properties in the Historic Centre of Prizren
The British Embassy understands that during the past two days, two very important cultural heritage buildings were destroyed in the central zone of the protected area of Prizren; the old house of the Shehu family in the Tabakhane neighbourhood and the ex-Jugobanka in front of the Stone Bridge.
It is regrettable that this happened just as the European Commission’s 2013 Kosovo Progress Report noted that “business interests frequently prevail over interests of the cultural heritage” and called for “robust action to stop illegal construction and to correct illegal construction which has already taken place”.
The British Embassy in Pristina joins Ec Ma Ndryshe, an organisation with which we are working to monitor the transparency of the Municipality in Prizren, in expressing concern about this development. We urge local and central government, the Prizren Council for Cultural Heritage and other relevant institutions to take immediate action to investigate these cases and prevent the repetition of similar devastating damage to other parts of Historic Centre of Prizren.