Lake Vërmica dries up, the dividing pyramids and the border point that divided Albanians come to light

Residents of the border area between Kosovo and Albania share sad stories of the time when Albanians, divided into two states, did not dare to know about each other, even though they were related by blood. These memories are made fresh by the old border crossing and other elements that have come to the surface after Lake Vërmica dried up.

The lack of rainfall this winter has caused the waters in Lake Vërmica to dry up.

This has caused the customs and the old Vërmicë-Morinë border road, which was established between Albania and Kosovo for centuries, to emerge above the surface of the land near the current Kosovo-Albania border.

This year, after the water receded, the bunkers, the D/10 pyramid, and concrete pieces carved in 1937 are clearly visible. The emergence of these pieces to the surface brings back bitter memories of that time for the residents of the area.

Former student at that time, Nexhat Hoxha from Zhuri recalls:
"It's better not to see those ruins, because they represent a very bitter past of our people. If you even looked ahead from the border, the police punished you, if you pointed that way, it's Albania, they took you away immediately."

"Especially the families that refused to cooperate with them have been persecuted, exposed to terror, and in various cases, they have come to their homes, taken them, taken them to the border, executed them, left a weapon next to them, allegedly because they wanted to go to Albania," said Bujar Pulaj, a resident of Vërmica.

Until the 80s, when the area was flooded by the Fierza Dam in Albania, the residents of Vërmica and other border villages cultivated their lands, but special permission was required to work.

"This area here, near the border, at that time no one could approach without a special permit, whether for livestock or for field work, because this part here was planted, it was fertile land. If someone had a guest, they had to notify the mayor or the village representative, leave a letter there and say that we have a guest, so and so pistachio," added Bujar Pulaj.

"There was a problem, any exit from Albania or ours, we have had the biggest problems, come on, why didn't you tell me that someone came, tell me, why did you tell me", emphasized Afrim Koqinaj, a resident of Vërmica.

And it was precisely after these constant problems with border soldiers and after the fertile land was covered by the lake's water, that the large-scale displacement of residents began, starting in the early 1980s.
This border point served as the dividing line between the two former socialist states until 1948, when relations between the two countries broke down.

During the Kosovo war in 1999, there was also a transfer of weapons to this area to supply KLA fighters with weapons and ammunition.

But more internationally known, this border point became known in March 1999, through the influx of residents from all over Kosovo.