The state in the next attempt to revive two monuments with NGOs

The list of monuments restored with state money but kept under lock and key is long. Attempts to make them functional with non-governmental organizations can be counted on the fingers, but the Ministry of Culture is not giving up on this strategy. It has now managed to revive the Ministry Tower in Peja and Tabhane in Gjakova. The highest cultural institution in the country offers up to 60 thousand euros per year to those who have ideas and are able to keep the monuments "alive". But according to experts in this field, sustainable public use, in international practices, is stimulated and not designed this way

The Ministry of Culture is not giving up on trying an initiative that, despite several attempts, has yielded minimal results: to make monuments functional through non-governmental organizations. The highest cultural institution in the country has restored a considerable number of monuments in recent years, but keeps them locked up. They are unvisitable. Now it is trying to make the Ministry Tower in Peja and Tabhane in Gjakova functional through non-governmental organizations. This is the third attempt for the Ministry Tower, after those in 2024 and 2025.

The highest cultural institution in the country offers up to 60 thousand euros per year to those who have ideas and are able to keep the monuments "alive". Apart from the Pristina Prison Museum, the "Ideal Prison", and the "Hydroelectric Power Plant" in Prizren, the Ministry has not had success with any of the other initiatives. It has not found a non-governmental organization even for the Prizren Castle and the "Ulpiana" archaeological park. There have also been such announcements for the Isa Boletini Towers and the House of Katarina Josipi in Zym i Has.

"The goals of this call are: sustainable functionalization of cultural heritage monuments; development of active management models of heritage assets; promotion of cultural heritage through cultural, educational and developmental activities; increased community involvement and local development through sustainable use of monuments," the call, opened on Tuesday, states, while the application deadline is 20 days.

The aim is to develop cultural tourism through the integration of cultural heritage monuments into tourist offers and increasing their visitability in a sustainable manner. According to the call, functionalization means the sustainable public use of monuments through cultural, educational and developmental activities, while preserving the physical integrity and values ​​of cultural heritage. 
But sustainable public use, in international practices, is encouraged and not designed this way. Ways are found for the monument to generate monetary income so that it is self-sustaining, and not so that its functioning becomes a financial burden on the state.

The call requires applicants to demonstrate the use of contemporary best practices in the management and functionalization of cultural heritage assets, including innovative approaches, sustainable operating models and compliance with international standards for the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage. According to the call, projects must be implemented in accordance with the legislation on cultural heritage, the conditions of protection and conservation, as well as the decisions and consents of competent institutions.

The beneficiary, according to the call, bears full responsibility for the activities carried out, is obliged not to interfere with the structure of the monument without authorization and is responsible for any eventual damage to the monument resulting from the implementation of the project. For competing NGOs, certain legal criteria are required and the management and functionalization plan of the monument must be submitted in the most complete way possible. Funding from 20 thousand to 60 thousand euros per year is made every calendar year for three consecutive years.

The head of the Kosovar Foundation for Cultural Heritage without Borders "CHwB Kosova", Sali Shoshi, said that it is very good that the Ministry of Culture is trying to find a strategy to put the monuments into use and to find organizations that will use them. But, according to him, the attempts should be designed a little differently.

"This could be some kind of co-financing. I think there should also be a criterion that the NGOs operating there should contribute, provide additional funds, but also that their functioning should benefit the public. The aim should be that after a few years the Ministry's funds should be reduced and those of the organization that operates a monument should increase, in order to achieve self-sustainability," he said.

According to Shoshi, the Ministry of Culture should have thought about these things earlier, before starting the restoration and conservation of a monument.

"In other cases, before starting the restoration, MCYS asks the question of who the monument will serve. And this makes you meet the stakeholders and then respond to their needs. This should precede investments," he said.

The foundation led by Shoshi has intervened in the former music school in Peja. The space is now used by two renowned organizations in the city, which also have considerable international activity.

In 2024, the Ministry of Culture reached an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, as the owner of the Ministry Tower, to use it for 10 years. The Ministry Tower was restored within the framework of the program

"Cultural heritage as a driver for inter-community dialogue and social cohesion", co-financed by the European Union - Office in Kosovo, Ministry of Culture and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Office in Kosovo. It is an important monument, built in the 30s by the local bey, Shasivar Bey, but which during the time of monism was used by the rulers of the time and then nationalized.

The Tabhane in Gjakova is an asset where the state has invested twice to rebuild it. In 2024, less than a year after the building of the former Music Museum in Gjakova, known as "Tabhane", was destroyed, the Ministry of Culture decided to pay nearly 400 thousand euros to rebuild it. And it did. It rebuilt it with 382 thousand 786 euros.

The building, located in the center of Gjakova, was inaugurated in 2016. At that time, it was thought that the ground floor would be given to an entrepreneur for use, in exchange for the business owner compensating for the maintenance of the museum. Local institutions have repeatedly failed to find an operator to use the space.

The Music Museum in the Municipality of Gjakova, inaugurated no more than nine years ago, was on the verge of complete demolition in its interior spaces as early as January 2023. Broken and fallen doors, windows completely detached from the walls of the building, scattered garbage, and unfinished stairs were the sights that characterized the museum.

In the building that had previously housed various musical instruments, such as Ymer Riza's harp, Malush Stublë's knee harmonica, or the double basses of the cultural societies "Hajdar Dushi" and "Ganimete Tërbeshi", one could see a mess, a mess, and garbage. Local residents had said that it had been transformed into a drug addicts' den. The situation was no better either in the courtyard or on the ground floor, where a cafe was planned to open, the owner of which was also obliged to maintain the Music Museum. As a result of the repairs for the reconstruction of this building, part of the museum's wall was completely broken and thus there was no obstacle left to prevent entry or to protect the interior spaces. In 2012, the building was built by the Ministry of Culture with the aim of transforming it into a folk music museum.