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"The retired master stonemason"/ Majko: Chinese products are conquering the market

2025-04-16 16:26:00, Sociale CNA

"The retired master stonemason"/ Majko: Chinese products are

The sound of the hammer awakens curiosity and breaks the silence of the main alley of the characteristic bazaar of Gjirokastra. Master Rustem Majko began his passion around the 1970s by painting various portraits, mainly those of physicists. Started as a passion and driven by the gift for work, he began to cast portraits in stone, becoming profiled around 1998-1999 in stone carving. Works from his hands such as the eagle, the flag and the Clock Tower are today in many countries of the world, as every visitor takes a part of Albania with them.

Due to the demands and passion for this profession, despite being retired, Majko tells CNA that he will never stop working.

"There used to be pioneer circles and we used to do pyrography, making portraits of physicists, it was a long-standing desire. We have a tradition of stonework. I carve specific parts of the city into stones, as tourists take a piece of the city with them," said Majko.

"The retired master stonemason"/ Majko: Chinese products are

Majko proudly shows off the works of his city, Gjirokastra.

"Gjirokastra is the city of stone. The masters have worked carving our assets. In recent years there have been requests from foreigners and locals, especially those from the diaspora. I feel pleasure when a tourist comes and asks me to make an object for them. That is the greatest pleasure. The market filled with Chinese products is a problem that I have raised everywhere. Those products do not promote and do not represent our culture and tradition," said Majko.

"The retired master stonemason"/ Majko: Chinese products are

Unfortunately, craft workshops are disappearing every day, while in the shops of the Gjirokastra bazaar, the sound of chisels and hammers of old has been replaced by the loud music of bars. While the workshops have given way to free trade. /CNA





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