ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Shkodra, my family, my home, my story

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 06 | URBAN CULTURES AND LIVED HERITAGE

Speaker

Eltjana Shkreli (GO2Albania_Sustainable Urban Planning Organization)

Description

Shkoder holds a unique place in the history of photography, being one of the first cities in the world to capture a photograph using the Lumière brothers' technique just 20 years after its invention. With a rich tradition of visual storytelling, nowadays the city boasts a treasure trove of 800,000 photos, reflecting its cultural landscape and serving as a testament to its vibrant history and evolving identity.
This paper explores the urban cultural landscape of Shkoder, Albania, through the lens of collective memory, focusing on the city’s vernacular architecture and the oral stories of its inhabitants. As Shkoder experiences tension from urban growth, many of its traditional houses—symbols of local identity and history—are increasingly damaged or displaced. These structures, deeply intertwined with the city’s collective memory, reflect the tensions between preserving cultural heritage and adapting to global urbanization pressures. This study investigates how these traditional houses embody the city’s past and continue to shape its present identity.
The methodology combines architectural analysis of Shkoder's vernacular housing with oral storytelling from local residents. Architectural documentation and field studies examine the design and significance of these houses. Whereas interviews with inhabitants provide insight into the narratives through their own family photo albums and collective memories embedded within these dwellings. This study uses photography as a powerful tool for documenting and preserving this heritage, contributing to broader discussions on memory, architecture, and urbanization in rapidly changing cities. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a deeper understanding of how physical spaces and oral histories interact to form a cohesive cultural identity.
In conclusion, the paper explores how dwellings act as sites of memory, and photography a witness of the people connection to it, while confronting the realities of urban change.

References

Boyer, C., 1996. The City of Collective Memory: Its Historical Imagery and Architectural Entertainments. s.l.:MIT Press.
Czepczyński, M., 2008. Cultural Landscapes in Post-socialist Cities. s.l.:ASHGATE.
Fyfe, N. R., 1998. Images of the Street_planning identity and control in public spaces. London: Routledge.
Paci, Z., 2012. Marubi, fotografia si ritual. Tirane: Princi.
Rossi, A., 1982. The Architecture of the City. s.l.:MIT Press.