The choice of my topic closely connects different times of Albanian history and cultural heritage. Self-sacrifice and disrespect for the female figure, which dates back to the first centuries and, unfortunately, in recent years. The bride's grave is a phenomenon that has become something frequent in Albania, and ironically, a few kilometers away from us, it dates back to the 15th century, thus occupying an important place in the objects of Albanian cultural heritage.

The story of a woman, found dead in the middle of a meadow, in whose memory this object was built. The disturbing legend of dreams cut in half, the desire to live free and the massive abuse of the female figure that haunts the freedom of many others today.

I chose to name the girl Andrra, which in the Albanian Gheg dialect means dream

Cultural heritage is closely related to acts and objects of a certain society which is inherited from past times.

Albania is a small country and the course of its formation as an independent state has not been very easy over the years. As a result, parts of our cultural heritage belong more to the spiritual culture than to the material one. Albania and Albanians fanatically preserve some of these, such as: Folklore, the preservation of the Albanian language, and numerous oral histories, which we as Albanians have heard and listened to tirelessly from our grandparents and parents, as well as from hearings or events organized in the framework of our cultural heritage. It's always nice to hear about these even when you're grown and when your time isn't enough to do the things that matter the most.

In recent years, Albania has had tragic cases related to the killing and mistreatment of women, a masculinist phenomenon in a society with a deep masculine culture. The principles of husband and father at home, at work or on the road, have been taught and imposed on us since childhood, a rhythm that seems to be changing with different female activities.

Today, Albania enjoys an object of cultural heritage, which is located not far from the center of Tirana, in a village near it, precisely in the area of Mullet, approximately 11 km away from the capital of Albania.

BRIDE'S TOMB

A little history:

The Bride's Tomb is a tomb and cultural heritage monument in Mullet, Petrelë Municipality, Tirana District, Albania. This monument is of the "Architecture" type, approved by number "Order on 08.01.1977".

Tyrbja e Nuses (Bride’s tomb)  is located in the village of Mullet, near the Church of Maxhara. There is no special study for this monument, but based on the construction technique, the use of cloisonné and serrations in the shape of a saw, as well as the similarities with the Church of Maghara, it could be dated to the 14th century, but started from the function similar to the tombs of the Ottoman period, we say that it may belong to the XVth Century and the beginning of the XVIth Century. The monument in the mullet carries a legend in three different variants, according to which it was built in memory of the young bride who was killed.

Histroty of a 16-year-old girl, who loved a boy in the village. When her parents understand this, they decide to marry her to someone else, this is because of an Albanian mentality in the past, where the girl was not allowed to love or freely choose the man of her life. Despite the girl's opposition, on the wedding day, she would see the bride at the door chosen by her parents. As she was heading to her husband's house, on horseback and tired from tears that would not stop her, the bride asked for permission to rest exactly near the village of Mullet in a pathless meadow. As soon as she relaxed, she secretly takes out a knife and sticks it in her chest, and the people who accompanied her could not save her. It is also said that she left a bequest in her last breaths, "Don't bury me at husband's house, but not at mother's either", sending her forever to the place that can mark her eternal grave.

There is also a second variant, where it says that the bride was accidentally killed on the day of the wedding, while going to the house of her husband and the wedding guests who accompanied her, ambushed you, this tradition is known in connection with the Kanun of Leke Dukagjin and the enmity between Albanians. This tradition recognized the right of a man who felt betrayed or whose blood was taken, killed by someone from the family, to return the blood of the murdered relative.

The variant and the truest story for me in this legend is the fact that a young girl interrupted her desires and did not allow herself happiness and enjoyment of life. And precisely that Tomb and that monument that is located very close to us, where we pass every day, to follow the road to work, to visit a friend or to enjoy a delicious dinner, we are not aware of the existence of this monument that reminds every day more and more, that we have to fight for the female power, to eradicate the phenomens that exist in Albania and give noise to them, that like that female, whose journey stopped in that meadow, there are many others who, even in 2023, they stop enjoying and living their lives.

The purpose of the project:

1. Information and signage for the location of the facility
2. Contouring and surrounding it, and placing lighting on the road that leads to the monument. Lighting will be provided with solar path lights.
3. An informative event, with several female participants, providing transport to the countryside, and presenting the sad history of that object as part of our cultural heritage.Also inviting the media to make a short reportage, to document this important event that will give you an object to be left in oblivion.