Albania to Honour Heroes Who Saved Jews from Holocaust

During the event, Rama said: "It is another very important moment in Tirana's history, urban development, and architecture, and I believe we will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief from a long-standing burden of obligation in relation to our children and visitors to our country, related to perhaps the most glorious page of Albanian history, the rescue of Jews during World War II."

The museum is to be named "Besa", Albanian for "promise" or "trust", which relates to an honour code dating back centuries. It was this idea that saved hundreds if not thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust. 

The museum will be located in a building once belonging to the influential Toptani family. A typical 19th-century Ottoman Albanian building, it has been designated a Cultural Heritage and Cultural Monument. Other existing Jewish sites in the country include the Jewish Quarter in Vlora and the Solomon Museum in Berat. There is also a memorial to victims of the Holocaust in Tirana's lake park.

"The rescue of the Jews during World War II is one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the Albanians. Christians and Muslims sacrificed everything to protect them," Elva Margariti, Albania's Minister of Culture, said. 

"For Albanians this is BESA; it is a value that we will pass on to our children, telling them this extraordinary story. The Besa Museum will be a bridge of communication between generations; a dialogue space for sharing the best values of our peoples."

One of the leading behind-the-scenes figures in pushing ahead with this project is Kazakh-Israeli businessman and philanthropist Alexander Machkevitch, who heads the Eurasian Resources Group and has business interests in the Balkans. 

"I am humbled to be a part of...