"Minister Kumbaro's "Small Point". Not only was an ancient settlement destroyed, but also documents and reports of previous excavations were falsified" - this is how researcher Auron Tare writes, who among other things denounces that in this way Ms. Kumbaro's Ministry paved the way for the construction of the resort with the help of the heads of the Faculty of Archaeology.
"Just 50 m from this Medieval Tower is the Dema Wall, a 4th century BC fortification work unique among ancient fortifications" - this is how an article published two years ago recalls.
“The Bull Wall”
The Dema Wall was not destroyed by the Romans, nor the Huns, nor the Ostrogoths, Goths, or Slavs. We tore it down.
"Waiting for the barbarians"
What are we waiting for, gathered in this square?
The barbarians will arrive here today.
Why is the Senate sitting idle today?
And what do the senators and legislators expect?
The barbarians will reach far away today,
What laws can senators make?
Barbarians will make all the laws themselves.
Why this sudden commotion across the square,
(Look at the faces, how they all darkened),
Why were the streets and squares suddenly deserted,
And people back home full of worry?
The famous poem by the Greek poet Cavafy seems to have been written about one of the most epic monuments on Albanian soil. The Wall of Demas, a monumental work built somewhere more than 2300 years ago between present-day Saranda and Ancient Butrint. A wall built with large stones brought from ancient quarries was erected precisely to protect the City of Butrint.
At the narrowest point where the famous Lake of Ancient Pelodes (Lake of Butrint) connected to the sea, the inhabitants erected this monumental work where for 2300 years it stood there proudly to stop the hordes of barbarians from civilization. It was not destroyed by the Romans, nor the Huns, nor the Ostrogoths, Goths, Slavs, Pechenegs, Avars, later the Normans or even later the Ottomans. The Dema Wall withstood time, reaching today untroubled and unbroken by any barbarian horde.
For this reason, it was included in the Map of the boundaries of the Butrint National Park.
Until today.
Watch the footage broadcast by Voice of America of what is happening just 100 meters from this magnificent Monument. For a moment it seemed to me that Voice of America had confused the news by showing the bombings in Gaza.
Yes, no, no, the Voice of America was clear. The broadcast footage showed what was happening in the Little Point of Culture Minister Kumbaro, who showed not only her fellow MPs, but also the public that there was nothing wrong with eating a little of the borders of Butrint in the name of development. No one spoke, fellow MPs lowered their heads, after all, where were the barbarians?
The Wall of Dema had waited in vain for centuries, and the barbarians were nowhere to be seen. What did this Wall serve civilization?
And as Cavafy sings
Because night fell and the barbarians did not come
And from the borders someone arrived and said: There are no barbarians anywhere there. But what will we do now without the barbarians?
