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i Članek predstavlja splošne informacije o arheološkem najdišču, projektnih zahtevah, izvedbi projekta 
in rezultatih, ki so omogočili takojšnje vidne učinke na področju varstva, ohranjanja in dostopnosti ar-
heoloških ostalin rimske vile ter dolgoročne nadgradnje na področju edukacije, promocije in ozavešča-
nja o pomenu kulturne dediščine kakor tudi diverzifikacije produktov na področju kulturnega turizma.
Ključne besede: kulturna dediščina, promocija dediščine, norveški mehanizem, arheološki park, Simo-
nov zaliv, podvodni arheološki park
This paper presents general information of the archaeological site, project requirements, execution of 
the project as well as results, enabling immediate and long term enhancement in the fields of protection, 
conservation and accessibility of archaeological remains as well as long-term upgrading in the fields of 
education, promotion and raising awareness on the importance of cultural heritage as well as in diversi-
fication of cultural tourism products.
Keywords: cultural heritage, promotion of heritage, EGP grants, archaeological park, bay of St. Simon, 
underwater archaeological park
Project AS 
– an example of comprehensive heritage promotion
Project AS and the site
Irena Lazar, University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities 
Alenka Tomaž, University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities
13
The University of Primorska secured a grant as a leading partner from the EGP 2009-2014 tender, section B – Cultur-
al Heritage. Having started in February 2015, 
the project “AS – Archaeology for all. Reviv-
al of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv” 
(slov. AS – Arheologija za vse. Oživljanje arhe-
ološkega parka Simonov zaliv) finished in Jan-
uary 2017.1 
The tender placed special emphasis on the 
cooperation and partnership between institu-
tions from Slovenia and institutions from do-
nor states. The leading partner, the Institute 
for Archaeology and Heritage of the Faculty of 
1 Lazar, Irena. “Short description of the project and project collabo-
rators.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology for all. Revi-
val of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, Ko-
per: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 8-10.
Humanities of the University of Primorska2* as 
the manager of the Simonov zaliv archaeologi-
cal site, thus teamed-up with Gagarin ltd. from 
Iceland and three other Slovenian partners – 
the Municipality of Izola, Arhej ltd. and the In-
stitute of Diving and Underwater Activities – 
IPPA Piran. The Institute also attracted several 
other members of the University of Primorska 
into the project. 
Among the objectives listed in the tender 
segment targeting at cultural heritage was “to 
preserve and restore cultural monuments, acces-
sible to the general public and contributing to 
the local and regional development, augmenting 
tourist offer and boosting the recognisability of 
2 *At the time of applying for the grant, the Institute was officially na-
med Institute for Mediterranean Heritage ZRS UP; Jan. 1st 2016 it 
was renamed Institute for Archaeology and Heritage FHŠ UP un-
der the head Assist. Prof. Alenka Tomaž PhD.
doi: ht t ps://doi .org/10. 26493/2350-54 43.5(1)13-20
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the local or regional environment”. Another ob­
jective was to contribute to the knowledge about 
the meaning of preserving cultural heritage, 
about its development potential and the particu­
larities of its preservation and restoration. Only 
owners or managers of cultural monuments were 
eligible for application in the segment of cultur­
al heritage. Project results required at least one 
renovated or restored cultural monument, a unit 
of cultural heritage, which must hold the sta­
tus of the “monument of national significance”; 
the monument must be under work during the 
course of the project, during which the leading 
partner should allocate at least 5% of funds for 
the “soft” activities, i.e. better accessibility of cul­
tural heritage (e.g. attractive programmes for 
vulnerable groups and the young population). 
By securing suitable financing, the investor 
and partners, involved in the AS project, made 
a number of steps necessary for establishing a 
modern archaeological park (including the un­
derwater part of the site), meaning:
­ restoration, conservation and protection of 
the Simonov zaliv archaeological site with 
the presentation of the monument as a who­
le, i.e. the living quarters of the Roman ma­
ritime villa as well as the now submerged 
adjacent port, which also means the need to 
establish the first underwater archaeologi­
cal park in Slovenia;
­ increasing and improving the accessibility 
of the monument, the condition for which 
is its integrated presentation and properly 
updated of equipment, needed for its inter­
pretation (mainly by establishing a modern 
interpretation centre), as well as a public 
programme for the visitors with special ne­
eds and underwater tours of the port, and, 
last but not least, a tour guide app;
­ education and training in the field of archa­
eological didactics and enhancing public 
awareness on the meaning of archaeological 
heritage with the aid of a public programme 
of experimental archaeology;
­ planning tourist itineraries connecting ar­
chaeological sites of the Slovene coast, thus 
enhancing the appeal of this particular area 
in the segment of archaeological tourism.
The Simonov zaliv archaeological site is 
proclaimed a monument of national signifi­
cance (heritage ID 195).3 Despite the fact that it 
is an example of best preserved archaeological re­
mains of a Roman maritime villa with an adja­
cent port, it was so far insufficiently presented or 
accessible.4 The remains of the villa were exposed 
to negative climate influences as well as ground­
water and the tides of the sea that were particu­
larly damaging to the archaeological remains. 
Some materials have been exposed to an open 
air, which causes their natural decay.5 Long­term 
project results encompassed:
­ the presentation of the archaeological site of 
Simonov zaliv;
­ the establishing of the first underwater ar­
chaeological trail in Slovenia;
­ the establishing of a modern interpretation 
centre in the archaeological park;
­ the increased tourist offer with the aid of 
itineraries with cultural contents;
­ the increased accessibility for visitors with 
disabilities, ensuring properly customized 
contents and activities.
3 Stokin, Marko, Katharina Zanier. “Simonov zaliv.” Vestnik, 23, Za-
vod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije, Ljubljana, 2011, 24; 
Groh, Stefan, Sedlmayer, Helga. “Otium cum dignitate et nego-
tium trans mare. La villa marittima di San Simone (Simonov zaliv) 
in Istria (Slovenia). ” Ante Quem, Bologna, 2017, 56.
4 Mileusnić, Zrinka, “The Project AS and archaeology as a cultural 
tourism.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology for all. Re-
vival of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, 
Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 16-17.
5 Kikelj Lesar, Martina. “Development of the conservation and re-
storation methodology for mosaics in Slovenia, 2010-2015.” in La-
zar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology for all. Revival of the Ar-
chaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, Koper: Založba 
Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 46–60; Lazar, Irena, Tomaž, Alen-
ka. “Presentation of the project AS and its objectives.” in Lux, Ju-
dita (ur.), Kikelj, Martina L. (ur.), Kramar, Sabina (ur.). Zaščita in 
vzdrževanje mozaikov in situ / Protection and maintenance of mo-
saics in situ. Ljubljana: Institute for the Protection of Cultural He-
ritage of Slovenia 2018.
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The project produced a plan of architectur­
al and landscape arrangement of the park with 
several phases and periods to be finished. With 
the mosaics and the architectural remains of the 
Roman villa restored, the monument is protect­
ed and presented. Having undergone a conserva­
tion process, the mosaics and walls are protected 
under special canvas structures, enabling visitors 
to visit the mosaics and architectural remains, 
which were inaccessible thus far. This way, the 
archaeological heritage is protected, preserved 
and accessible for future generations, which is 
closely related to the architectural and landscape 
arrangement of the archaeological park. Phase 
one resulted in highlight the appropriate pres­
entation and better access to the monument, 
creating grounds for the building of the visitors’ 
centre, which will remain open for a longer peri­
od through the year. The underwater part of the 
site with stone remains of the Roman port is also 
presented: this is, in fact, the first underwater ar­
chaeological trail in Slovenia. 
Comprehensive heritage promotion
All project co­workers were intensively involved 
in the work dedicated to informing and notify­
ing the public about the activities in the archaeo­
logical park, as well as in performing education­
al activities about the meaning of archaeological 
heritage and its potential in the field of sustain­
able development and cultural tourism.6 But it 
is of huge importance that the education and 
awareness on the importance of the cultural and 
natural heritage starts in the early childhood. 
Only by offering education and early engage­
ment in the local milieu and community can we 
raise the young as conscious and responsible vis­
itors and tourists in contact with heritage. That 
is why so­called “soft” activities for better ac­
cessibility of cultural heritage have been devel­
oped with attractive programmes for vulnerable 
groups and the young population. 
6 Mileusnić, Zrinka. “Cultural tourism and cultural tourists – basic 
concepts.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology for all. Re-
vival of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, 
Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 106.
Interpretation centre for visitors
The interpretation centre and its programme 
of interpreting activities enable a better way of 
presenting archaeological heritage and is a good 
foundation for cultural tours.7 An especially im­
portant feature of modern interpretation is an 
interactive exhibition with digital solutions for 
conveying information to the public and to the 
visitors of the archaeological site of Simonov 
zaliv. The centre presents the Roman villa with 
the adjacent port, the surroundings of Izola and 
the cliffs, a fascinating geological phenomenon 
– in all, a variety of natural and cultural herit­
age features of the area. Contents are presented 
on a Tangible Map Interface (TMI), an interac­
tive map solution, which allows multiple users 
to simultaneously explore and understand var­
ious topics. The solution is multi­user and very 
easy and fun to use, allowing visitors to engage 
fully in the story told; by picking a topic with a 
puck and placing it on a station (projected podi­
um), and information appears on the projected 
map. By turning the pucks, users navigate with­
in space and time exploring life in a Roman sea­
side villa.
Program and contents for visitors 
with special needs
Certain groups of people, who endure different 
shortcomings in their development, need spe­
cial attention in their involvement in the society. 
One of the greatest values of the modern society 
should therefore be the care for inclusion and so­
cial cohesiveness, which contributes to the qual­
ity of life of all its members.8 
Activities for people with special needs 
were planned in the collaboration with the Fac­
ulty of Education (University of Primorska), so 
that they meet the multi­sensorial needs of the 
7 Ravnik, Mateja, Plestenjak, Ana. “Visitor interpretation center – 
exhibition topics.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology 
for all. Revival of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project 
Manual, Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016,118.
8 Kiswarday, Vanja Riccarda, Kermauner, Aksinja, Drljić, Karmen. 
“Archaeology for all – Accessibility of cultural heritage for persons 
with special needs.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology 
for all. Revival of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project 
Manual, Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 131.
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people with diverse shortcomings. A stimulating 
programme addressed the sensorial abilities (to 
smell, to feel and to taste the ancient times) of the 
young and the adult visitors. Several workshops 
were held on the subject of individual sensorial 
abilities (e.g. smell – spices, perfumes, produce; 
feel – ceramics, glass, stone, mosaic and wool). 
Through the programme, visitors of all ages are 
acquainted with the ancient man’s everyday life 
by way of objects. Guided tours in the park were 
designed for persons with special needs, with au­
dio guides (in several languages), ground plan 
charts for orientation, texts in braille and en­
larged texts and maps.
Diving and the underwater trail 
on the site of the Roman port
Establishing an underwater archaeological trail 
was a pioneering activity not only in Slovenia but 
even wider. Measuring almost 8000 m2, the port 
of Simonov zaliv is one of the largest in western 
Istria, second only to that of Fažana in Croa­
tia.9 The port has three parts, built from massive 
sandstone blocks: the coastal wall for protection 
against erosion, the pier and a long jetty, which 
protected the port against strong winds.
A special program of underwater tours has 
been designed, which also provides free rental of 
diving equipment; it is open for public according 
to a predetermined schedule as guided dives for 
beginners and intermediate divers in the form 
of recognition dives (“Discovery Dive”), availa­
ble to visitors without prior knowledge of diving. 
Dives are conducted by licensed instructors and 
properly secured and ensured. 
An underwater trail was set up around one 
of the key feature of the port namely the long 
breakwater once built to protect the port. The 
underwater trail is composed of several stops 
marked with different object labelled and de­
scribed on a board map on land and on lami­
nated maps for divers. The trail allows underwa­
9 Karinja, Snježana, Čerče, Peter. “The Roman Port at the St. Simon’s 
Bay, Izola. The 1994 rescue excavations.” in Proceedings of the 13th 
Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeolo gists 
(Zadar, 18.–23. September 2007), Session: Underwater Archaeolo-
gy, Zagreb, 2008, 196–200.
ter sightseeing of the preserved structures of the 
port following a predetermined itinerary, which 
was established by using landmark points.
Heritage trails
By connecting the concepts of “culture” and 
“tourism” a new concept called »cultural tour­
ism« has been created which comprises tourism 
services with a strong focus on cultural content 
and culture, which extends the awareness of its 
existence through tourism and its offer.
International charter on cultural tourism 
from 1999 considered tourism as a valuable fac­
tor in the protection and conservation of natu­
ral and cultural heritage, which can comprise the 
economic elements of the heritage and use them 
by raising funds, educating the community and 
influencing the market policy. It is also an inte­
gral part of many national and regional econo­
mies, as it is important for development.10
Within the frame of project “AS” new herit­
age trails have been designed for cyclists and hik­
ers, along which they can discover the rich cul­
tural and natural heritage of the area.11 We have 
designed several cycling and hiking trails, one 
around Izola and its surroundings, one along the 
archaeological sites on the coast and its hinter­
land – and a sea itinerary following the ancient 
maritime trail along the archaeological sites on 
Slovenian coast. The itinerary “The Sea Trail 
along the Roman Villas” connects the Roman 
sites situated directly on the coast or beneath the 
sea surface. Sailing from one landmark of Ro­
man settlement to another, from the very south 
(Seča) to Viližan in Izola, visitors witness the 
ancient world from the maritime perspective, 
which is a tourist and educational novelty in Slo­
venia. Visiting the sea trail is adapted to one­day 
10 Mileusnić, Zrinka. “Cultural tourism and cultural tourists – basic 
concepts.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). Project AS. Archaeology for all. Re-
vival of the Archaeological park Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, 
Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2016, 104-108.
11 Lazar, Irena, Ravnik, Mateja, Šmid, Katarina. “New contents 
for the visitors and tourists – heritage trails.” in Lazar, Irena (ed.). 
Project AS. Archaeology for all. Revival of the Archaeological park 
Simonov zaliv. Project Manual, Koper: Založba Univerze na Pri-
morskem, 2016, 166–175.
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or half­a­day trips to ancient heritage and seeing 
the Simonov zaliv archaeological park. 
With the production of these itineraries, 
we diversified the (cultural) tourist offer on the 
coast and in the hinterland, which will, hopeful­
ly, prolong the tourist season in the future from 
early spring to late autumn and contribute to the 
general knowledge about the meaning of herit­
age and its active experience. These activities will 
diversify a growth of cultural tourism products 
in the area and also spread the general knowl­
edge about the coast and the way of life along the 
sea, whose economic impact has been vastly rec­
ognized in the ancient times.
Program and contents for collaboration 
with schools, kindergartens and universities
Aiming at the early start of education and build­
ing awareness about the meaning of cultural her­
itage to create a responsible visitor and tourist, 
our teaching workshops programme has been 
developing since 2009.12 
Learning about the past and archaeologi­
cal discoveries still holds a special and mysteri­
ous charm for the younger generation. During 
the summer season workshops on various top­
ics are conducted in the park on a weekly basis, 
whereas outside the season, they are organised 
for closed groups upon previous arrangement. 
Apart from group­oriented guided tours and 
workshops, additional curriculum­related class­
es are also organised, as well as cultural field 
days and research days, designed for elementary 
schools, high schools and youth research camps. 
We have also prepared six educational kits, suita­
ble for learning about material culture of Roman 
period. By way of replicas, games and drawings 
schoolchildren and persons with special needs 
come into direct contact with a variety of top­
ics about the everyday life in antiquity. The most 
curious can benefit from two “archaeological 
boxes”, designed as a model of an archaeological 
site with stratification which enables the young 
12 Lazar, Irena. “Izobraževanje na področju kulturne dediščine: Fa-
kulteta za humanistične študije Univerze na Primorskem.” Studia 
universitatis hereditati, 2013, letn. 1, št. 1/2, 123-139.
generation to experience how to work at the ar­
chaeological site and to get a glimpse on how to 
do excavation with the modern methods of ar­
chaeological work.
Last but not least, an immensely important 
part of the education process at the Faculty of 
Humanities UP – particularly in heritage­relat­
ed programmes – is students’ practical work and 
expert field experience.13 The activities related to 
the ongoing work at the site of the Roman vil­
la at Simonov zaliv, are an excellent opportunity 
for joining the research with the teaching activ­
ities. Archaeology, heritage, history, museology, 
conservation and cultural tourism are but some 
of the contents, in which students from Slovenia 
or abroad are involved during the course of their 
study process, either in form of practical work, 
projects, workshops or summer schools.
Local community
The Municipality of Izola made great effort in 
the last few years to develop its tourism poten­
tial. Once a small fishing town, it is now emerg­
ing as an interesting tourist destination. For this 
purpose, the municipality supports and finances 
numerous projects in the field of cultural herit­
age. Since there are no museums or similar insti­
tutions in Izola dedicated to the moveable herit­
age, the Simonov zaliv archaeological park and 
its activities is seen as an opportunity for further 
development of cultural tourism and its offer. 
The public programme in the park is conducted 
also in cooperation with public institutions in 
the municipality of Izola, among them the City 
Library of Izola, the tourist office TIC Izola, the 
Knowledge Exchange (Borza znanja), the Izola 
High School of Tourism etc. 
Training for volunteers within the project 
AS gave the members of the local community a 
possibility to get a better understanding of the 
monument, its characteristics and meaning, thus 
creating conditions for their active participation 
in its preservation, presentation and populari­
sation. Apart from the already listed goals, the 
13 Lazar, Irena, Mileusnić, Zrinka. “Heritage education and students’ 
training – case study Faculty of Humanities University of Primor-
ska.” Museologica Brunnensia, 2018, št. 7/1, forthcoming. 
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purpose of educational courses for tourist guides 
as well as organised interdisciplinary meetings 
on the subject of cultural tourism was to initiate 
a more intensive dialogue between different dis­
ciplines, acting in the field of heritage and tour­
ism. Establishing this dialogue means laying the 
foundations for a better development of the cul­
tural tourism, which is in sync with the Strategy 
of developing and marketing cultural tourism in 
Slovenia.14
Research of the ancient complex in the 
bay of Simonov zaliv has an almost centu­
ry­long track record. Until the 1980’s, informa­
tion about the Simonov zaliv archaeological re­
mains was only processed by heritage experts or 
scientists in the field of archaeology. The peri­
od from the 1980’s onwards was marked by sev­
eral attempts at diverse activities in the field of 
research as well as restoration, and the site has 
been proclaimed the monument of national sig­
nificance. And later on an archaeological park as 
a part of site management politics has been es­
tablished subsequently. These activities served as 
a basis for proper management and preservation 
of the monument, as stipulated by the Venice15 
and Lausanne document16 and their directives 
for the preservation and restoration of monu­
ment areas and for preserving and managing ar­
chaeological heritage. 
The project AS was developed on excellent 
foundations combined with the directives and 
the development concept of the park manager. 
The archaeological park now meets the require­
ments of the International Charter on the Con­
servation and Management of Archaeological 
Heritage 17 and the Document on the interpre­
14 Strategija razvoja in trženja kulturnega turizma 2009-2013, Sloven-
ska turistična organizacija, Poslovne publikacije, Maribor, 2009.
15 ICOMOS, »Mednarodna listina o ohranjanju in obnovi spome-
nikov in spomeniških območij (Beneška Listina)« in Doktrina 1: 
Mednarodne listine ICOMOS, ed. Jovo Grobovšek (Ljubljana: 
združenje ICOMOS/SI, 1999), 25-28.
16 ICOMOS, »Mednarodna listina o ohranjanju in upravljanju arhe-
ološke dediščine (Lausannska listina)« in Doktrina 1: Mednaro-
dne listine ICOMOS, ed. Jovo Grobovšek (Ljubljana: združenje 
ICOMOS/SI, 1999), 45-50.
17 ICOMOS, »Mednarodna listina o ohranjanju in upravljanju 
arheološke dediščine (Lausannska listina)« in Doktrina 1: Med-
tation and presentation of cultural heritage are­
as, meeting the standards stipulated in the seven 
principles in the areas of access and understand­
ing, information resources, emphasis on the sur­
roundings and context, maintaining the authen­
ticity, sustainable design, integration of various 
factors as well as research, training and evalua­
tion.18
The educational and promotional activi­
ties relating to meaning of archaeological herit­
age and its potential in the field of sustainable 
development and cultural tourism are being ful­
ly implemented also after the conclusion of the 
project. 
Povzetek
Projekt »AS - Arheologija za vse. Oživljanje arheolo-
škega parka Simonov zaliv«, je eden največjih projektov 
s področja ohranjanja in restavriranja arheološke dediš-
čine v Sloveniji, realiziran v zadnjih nekaj letih. Univerza 
na Primorskem kot vodilni partner projekta in kot uprav-
ljavka arheološkega najdišča Simonov zaliv je uspela pri-
dobiti potrebna sredstva preko razpisa EGP 2009-2014 in 
k realizaciji projekta privabiti skupino visoko motiviranih 
projektnih partnerjev. Projekt je bil namenjen različnim 
dejavnostim, ki so omogočile zahtevane pogoje za vzpo-
stavitev sodobnega arheološkega parka na arheološkem 
najdišču v Simonovem zalivu, ki se ponaša z najbolje 
ohranjenimi arheološkimi ostalinami rimske vile mariti-
me. V članku predstavljamo splošne informacije o arheo-
loškem najdišču, projektnih zahtevah, izvedbi projekta in 
rezultatih, ki so omogočili takojšnje vidne učinke na po-
dročju varstva, ohranjanja in dostopnosti arheoloških os-
talin rimske vile ter dolgoročne nadgradnje na področju 
edukacije, promocije in ozaveščanja o pomenu kulturne 
dediščine kakor tudi diverzifikacije produktov na podro-
čju kulturnega turizma.
Summary
Project “AS – Archaeology for all. Revival of the Ar-
chaeological park Simonov zaliv” (slov. AS – Arheologi-
narodne listine ICOMOS, editor: Jovo Grobovšek, (Ljubljana: 
združenje ICOMOS/SI, 1990), 45-50.
18 ICOMOS. “Listina o interpretaciji in predstavitvi območij kultur-
ne dediščine.” Doktrina 2: Mednarodne listine in dokumenti ICO-
MOS, uredil: Jovo Grobovšek, (Ljubljana: Združenje ICOMOS/
SI, 2008), 45–53.
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ja za vse. Oživljanje arheološkega parka Simonov zaliv) 
is one of the largest implemented projects concerning 
preservation and restoration of archaeological herit-
age in Slovenia in recent years. University of Primors-
ka as a lead partner in the project as well as manager of 
the Simonov zaliv archaeological site managed to ac-
quire necessary funds through EGP 2009-2014 ten-
der as well as gather a group of highly motivated pro-
ject partners to execute the project. The project aimed 
at different activities to meet all necessary requirements 
for establishing a modern archaeological park at the ar-
chaeological site in Simonov zaliv with one of the best 
preserved archaeological remains of a Roman villa mar-
itima. This paper presents general information of the ar-
chaeological site, project requirements, execution of the 
project as well as results, enabling immediate and long 
term enhancement in the fields of protection, conserva-
tion and accessibility of archaeological remains as well as 
long-term upgrading in the fields of education, promo-
tion and raising awareness on the importance of cultur-
al heritage as well as in diversification of cultural tour-
ism products.
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