Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures!

April 18 is marked as the International Day of Monuments and Sites which is celebrated every year to promote and raise awareness of the importance, vulnerability and responsibility for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage of humanity. The topic of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) for this year is: Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures!

Kosovo's rich cultural heritage is an interpretation of different cultural strata developed from the past to the present day. It represents the interplay between historical developments transformed from generation to generation - including all aspects of the environment that result in interaction between communities and localities throughout history - and the significance that this past has for the community today.

Archaeological sites that speak of urban centers with a refined culture - religious monuments, monasteries, churches, mosques, zawiyas and tombs that reveal the transformations and coexistence developed over the centuries, fortifications, old urban and rural centers, residential complexes, bridges, squares, fountains - indicate a complex past which has been transferred and preserved in the present. Preserving, promoting, and transmitting these assets remains an obligation and responsibility to create a diverse future for future generations who will enjoy it in the territory of Kosovo.

We are aware of the fragile state of our cultural heritage, of emergencies and challenges, but we are more than convinced of the vital importance it has, and very determined about our mission towards it.

Marking this day, in the context of the global COVID-19 emergency, which presented us with new challenges, but also opening up perspectives on new opportunities for the protection of cultural heritage in the future, we want to emphasize our commitment to the protection of our common cultural heritage, as a universal value that belongs to all of humanity, past, present and future generations.