ABSTRACT
The history of Albania is marked by two phases which have affected its culture and popular consciousness, influencing the activity of heritage protection: the transformation from a distant Ottoman province to an independent European nation (1915-1925) and the end of the communist regime and the beginning of democracy (1991). The current Law on the Protection and Use of Immovable Monuments of History and Culture and Historical Surrounding (1998, amended in 2003) does not indicate a specific year of construction as a time limit for its status as safeguarded monument. In 1998 Vienna was included in World Heritage List, while Graz had been included in 1996. Both cities are a fusion of ancient and modern, with contemporary architecture mixed with the old buildings of the historical centres. Although Azerbaijan's history has much in common with its neighbors in the Caucasus, its Islamic heritage makes Azeri culture and architecture distinctive in the region.
