We find Muhedin Makri sitting on the sofa. He is 81 years old. He is not counting the rosaries, as any of his peers would do. He carves stone slabs with chisel and hammer. “I’m carving the ‘flower of life,'” he says, as he teaches the chisel and the particles of stone stick to his face.
After changing systems, after having produced spoons and knives for 4 decades, he returned to an early passion, that of stone carving. And now it’s been 27 years, since on the stone slabs, which the gray city has in abundance, he carved the contours of the centuries-old Castle, portraits of historical figures, from Skënderbeu, Ismail Qemali, Naim Frashëri, Musine Kokalari, Çerçiz Topulli to the writer great, Ismail Kadare, who has given to the city, as much as he has received. But the image of the dictator Enver Hoxha is not missing either. Tourists look for them and Muhedini does not hesitate to teach them chisels. Foreigners like his works very much, but are often limited by the heavy weight of the stone. But Muhedini is not upset. In his shop in Pazar, in the alley that leads to the Castle, you can find works of all sizes. As they see this old man, working concentrated on the stone slab, there would be no tourist who would not stop their feet to follow him closely. He invites you with a smile and tells you how many hours of work it may take to make a figure or how he takes out the models, shapes. To complete the “Flower of Life” he needs 4 hours of work. It’s not too hot and he prefers to work outside, while inside he hears the hammering of the chisel. There are three generations working the stone. “I taught the craft to the children as well”, he says, “they didn’t think about school, but they have talent, they filled their books with drawings”. A dose of pride hides in his voice. Unlike many others whose craft tradition is dying out along with their lives because they have no one to inherit from, Muhedini has a home and a full heart.
The shop is filled with finished works: horoscope signs, vehicle symbols, carved animals and birds or ornamental motifs. There are also political symbols, but the old man says that he carves them because they are requested by customers, not because he deals with politics. “I am the only person who does not deal with politics. I respect only working people. I was honest at that time and I will die honest”.
When he hears his son complain or ask for something from the state, he gets angry and says: “I have always worked with the sweat of my brow and I have never asked anyone for anything. I don’t give up!”, he says and turns to the pages of “Flower of Life”.