The Minister of Culture, Elva Margariti, reacted this Tuesday after the fire that broke out the night before in the place known as Saraje.

Margariti says the building was declared a cultural monument in 1973, and has shown in detail what it has worked for over the years. Margariti underlines that the Ministry of Culture condemns this criminal act and encourages the competent bodies to uncover the whole truth.

She also writes that she supports the initiative of the Municipality of Tirana in the initiative to transform this building into a cultural, public object, preserving its unique values.

“Yesterday evening, the building of the 19th century was found in flames, known as "Saraje", in the street "Alqi Kondi".

For its architectural and historical values, this building was declared in 1973, a cultural monument.

Since the first hours of today the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tirana has reported to the Police Station no. 1, Tirana, with the suspicion that it is a deliberate arson, to devalue the building and the alienation of its function.

This building, which served as the first National Library, was state-owned until 2000, when it was returned to its former owners. Recently, the Municipality of Tirana had started the expropriation procedures, to turn it into a public cultural institution. Seeing the situation created, the building will be expropriated with an accelerated procedure.

The Ministry of Culture not only condemns this criminal act against cultural heritage, but encourages the competent bodies to investigate the event and bring those responsible to justice.

It also supports the Municipality of Tirana in the initiative to transform this building into a cultural, public object, preserving its unique values.

We thank for the immediate intervention the employees of the Fire Protection and Rescue Police, who fought with the flames, the employees of the State Police and the Municipal Police, the Municipality of Tirana, the employees of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage, but also every ordinary citizen. who has contributed to extinguishing the fire and will help uncover this unprecedented event,” Margariti writes.