Following the denunciation of illegal works in the Finiqi Archaeological Park, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, has reacted.
In a message on social media, Gonxha writes that the news is not true and constitutes misinformation about a completely legal restoration and consolidation process.
"According to the announcement, currently, works are being carried out in the Finiqi Archaeological Park, approved and supervised by the responsible cultural heritage institutions, as part of the project "Restoration and consolidation of the Bastion Wall in the Finiqi Archaeological Park", which are being carried out by the contracting entity "JOGI" sh.pk, based on decision no. 206, dated 09.04.2021, re-approved by Decision no. 398, dated 25.07.2025, of the National Council for Material Cultural Heritage.
"After several years of waiting, this important project is finally taking the form of concrete implementation, marking a necessary step in the preservation and valorization of one of the most representative monuments of antiquity in the south of the country. The interventions aim at the long-term stabilization of the structure, preserving the authenticity of the protective wall and improving the safety of visitors, paving the way for a more qualitative cultural and tourist experience in Finiq," the announcement states.
According to Gonxha, the works include cleaning surfaces and vegetation, conducting surveys to verify the foundations, building a drainage system, consolidating with stainless steel rods, and restoring the fallen cyclopean stones, weighing 1.8–2.2 tons each.
"Considering the heavy weight of the fallen cyclopean stones, in such cases, specialized lifting equipment with a capacity of up to 4.8 tons is used, fully in accordance with the norms and criteria of VKM no. 1099/2020. It is precisely these tools and activities that have been misinterpreted as illegal excavations, while they are part of the documented restoration process," said Gonxha.
Minister Gonxha emphasized that so far, the project has reached 80% completion, guaranteeing the long-term stability of the Bastion Wall, the safety of visitors, and the preservation of one of the most important cultural monuments of the country.
Finally, Gonxha underlines that the media and the public are invited to verify information with responsible institutions before publication, to avoid the dissemination of inaccurate news that undermines public perception of the work done to protect cultural heritage.
