Turkish TIKA: We have no intention of replacing Kosovo cultural heritage

For this project, which has been raised by university professors and cultural heritage professionals T The IKA says it is not meant to implement any project that is contrary to the Kosovo state's past.

“So far, by no means have we implemented, are not implementing and will not implement projects contrary to the culture and traditions of that state”, the KIKI's response sent to Radio Free Europe is said.

The question of the Great Hamam became a topic of discussion last week, when pictures of the presentation of the project on the part of the Pristina and TIKA were observed that this object had been changed by name.

TIKA has not answered the REL question if he proposed that the Great Hamami after the restoration be called “Fitah Hamami Muzesi”.

Despite objections, T IKA says it will continue with implementation of the project.

“As far as the project is concerned, there is a process that is continuing to implement it, and we as if so far, will continue to stay close to the people of Kosovo, as well as our projects will continue to support Kosovo in every respect”, KIK's response reported.

Project Review
Concerns raised over the project to restore the Great Hamam of Pristina have prompted the Institute for Cultural Heritage to take steps towards reviewing the project.

Cultural Heritage Inspectorate Director Imer Hakaj told Radio Free Europe on Tuesday that following the concerns raised, this institution is analyzing the entire subject of this project.

We're going to analyze the subject. We haven't looked at the entire project” yet, Hakaj said.

He gave no more details, with the reasoning that after the review the situation will be clearer.

The issue of the restoration of the Great Hamam makes a point of criticism on March 24th when the Pristina municipality announced it has signed a memorandum with TIKA on the restoration of this object.

Pristina's Hamam building.

In the photos Pristina and T municipality presented IKA, the Great Hamam, had been renamed.

“Fitah Hamami Muzesi” was proposed to be the new appointment, but university professors and leaders of cultural heritage institutions said that changing the name turned the Great Hamam into a museum of one of the most notorious sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmet II.

The project includes a sum of more than one million euros and about 51 percent of the total amount of money to finance TEKA.

Mehmetaj: Turkey strives to change Albanian heritage
T The IKA is accused of aiming at changing cultural heritage through various donations and investments in cultural heritage objects in Kosovo.

Archaeologist Haxhi Mehmetaj, who had conducted archaeological excavations in the areas of the Great Hamam, opposes the project proposed by the Pristina and TEKA municipality.

Mehmetaj says that this facility does not make another difference and that it must initially carry out new archaeological excavations that have preceded the Great Hamam.

He's against the fact that KIK's restoration leads.

“NEARLY, wherever he worked he tried and changed the authenticity of our cultural heritage”, Mehmetaj.

Pristina's Great Hamami is built in the XV century.

Mehmetaj cites another cult in which the Turkish Development Agency was involved, respectively, the Tyrbija of Sultan Murat, located in the Pristina suburb.

Through the works performed on this facility, according to Mehmetaj, T IKA has tried to make it a monument to Sultan Murat, which he claims is not true.

“NEAR everywhere he has gone, wherever he acts he has done cultured, it means he has changed, he has ruined monuments, it has ruined the layers of local cultural heritage while trying to revive the Ottoman Empire”, Mehmetaj said.

Tenses for Exploitation
With many doubts the project on restoring the Great Hamam is being seen at the Kosovo Archaeological Institute.

The director of this institution, Enver Rexha, says several foreign organisations, including T Turkey's IKA has consistently shown the tendency to leave a mark on the interventions made in Kosovo's cultural heritage.

The donation is in order, but not the donation to take a sense that they're kind of a heedar because if someone wants to give a donation, let's give that donation to regulate Kosovo's legacy, not get out there with different names and commitments, which have had trends and tends from some organisations to appear but in some form to enter that identity of the”, Reja says.

Rexha says Hamam's name should not be changed regardless of who the donor is.

Municipal Explanation
Shortly after the reactions, Pristina chairman Shpend Ahmeti, through a Facebook post, denied changing the name of the Grand Hamam.

Ahmeti said TIKA has not set any conditions on appointment, and said that after the restoration, the Great Hamami will serve for exhibitions, conferences and other events that will be organised by the municipality he leads.

The Great Hamami, or as it is called Sultan Mehmet Fatih's Hamami, is one of the few monuments of the Ottoman Empire era in Pristina.

Archaeological excavations have been made in the past, and artifacts belonging to pre - Ottoman rule have been found.

This object has been restored in the past, but the work was cut off because, as it was said, the loss of its original appearance.

Since 2012, with the decision of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Great Hamami of Pristina is part of cultural heritage.