Cattle migration, as a UNESCO world heritage

2024-05-23 21:25:00, Aktualitet CNA

Every year, in the spring and autumn, the shepherds organize the migration of the cattle, a rite that has been transmitted in Albania for centuries. At the end of last year, this Albanian tradition joined several Mediterranean countries by including it in UNESCO's Intangible World Heritage List. The Albanian shepherds are facing the challenges of depopulation of many rural areas and intend to promote the attraction of tourism through this delay. Herds of sheep and goats exchange each other under the rhythms of the feet and the waving of the grass in the field of Çajup in Gjirokastër.

This field, surrounded by majestic mountains, is a miracle of nature, over 1,500 meters above sea level, with an area of ??about 2,500 square meters and only 25 kilometers from the historic city of Gjirokastra.

Shepherds trek with small cattle in the spring to cool mountain places and in winter down to the plains.

This ancient Albanian tradition recently joined several Mediterranean countries, but not only, becoming part of the list of intangible world heritage protected by UNESCO.

Dressed in a shark inherited from his father, Pëllumb Koko says that he is carrying on this tradition for three generations.

"It is a tradition that is early. In our family, I am the third generation to inherit hiking, as my grandfather was engaged in livestock farming, and so is my father, who is 92 years old today. And the tradition will continue as the ancestors left it to us", he says.

Pëllumbi has a thousand head of cattle and says that in the spring it travels here in the plain of Çajup and in winter in December it descends from the mountains where the snow begins towards the plains of the Drino Valley.

"There are two treks, the summer trek and winter trek. I did the summer trek in April, since even the winter pasture, where I am, is not favorable for production, while in the winter we go depending on the time. "There are moments when we leave on December 10 or November 25, as we may be caught in the snow in the mountains. The treks for many herds of cattle last for days on traditional pastoral paths," he says.

This rite is not a simple movement of cattle, but has a spiritual charge and a lot of symbolism, says Pëllumbi.

"The journey carries a very spiritual part. Everything is sensitive, the tradition, the journey and the symbol of the feet and bells, the preparation of the caravans, the decoration of the leaders of the herd to the preparation of the new stable."

Animal husbandry, especially of small cattle, has been showing a significant decline in Albania in recent years due to the depopulation of rural areas but also the lack of involvement of young people in this sector.

Only shepherds over 50 years old continue to keep this tradition, Pëllumbi says.

"Age over 50 years old who are currently with sheep because they have tradition, they have the skills, but they are unable to increase the herd and improve things. But young people don't want to get involved with stables and livestock and are leaving rural areas," he says.

Recently, in some areas, shepherds, as well as tourist agencies and local units, aim to attract the attention of tourists, precisely with these traditions, developing stable tourism. Pëllumbi says that Albanian hospitality is a precious magnet./ VOA