Lovers of antiquity will definitely find a lot of interesting things for themselves in Albania. After all, entire ancient cities that were founded several thousand years ago have been preserved here.
Butrint
Butrint
The most striking ancient monument is, of course, the ancient city of Butrint, which is part of the National Park of the same name and has been under the protection of UNESCO since 2000. Butrint is located in the southern part of Albania, 20 km from the city of Saranda, almost on the border of Albania and Greece. According to the records of the ancient Roman writer Virgil, the city was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century BC. Today we can see such ancient Greek structures as the acropolis and amphitheater. By the way, on the stones from which the amphitheater was built, inscriptions are perfectly preserved, which date back to the 3rd century BC! Later, in the 2nd century BC, Butrint became part of the Roman Empire, and after its split, it came under the control of Byzantium. During this period, Christianity began to spread throughout the city. The ruins of Roman baths, a beautiful forum, a vaptistrio with early Christian mosaics from the 5th century, a large Basilica and other buildings have survived to this day from the Romans and Byzantines. In the 15th century, the Venetians came to the territory of Butrint, who also made a modest contribution to the development of the city. The castle located on the top of the hill and a triangular watchtower have been preserved on the territory of the city from the Venetians. In order to go around the entire ancient city, it will take more than one hour, because its territory is huge. In addition, having climbed to the top, you can fully enjoy the magnificent landscapes of the Ionian Sea and Lake Butrint, look at the ruins of a Greek temple dedicated to the god of healing Asklepius, and also visit a small museum, which contains very interesting exhibits, including ancient Greek and ancient Roman statues, coins from different eras, ceramics and much more.
Apollonia
Apollonia
The second most important is the ancient city of Apollonia, which is located near the industrial center of Albania — the city of Fier. Apollonia today is one of the most visited tourist places in Albania, in addition to ancient ruins, here you can see the medieval monastery complex with the Church of St. Mary of the 14th century, as well as go to one of the best archaeological museums in the country. The city of Apollonia has been known since the 6th century BC. It was founded by the ancient Greeks, immigrants from Corinth and Corfu. The famous ancient Greek scientist Aristotle wrote about Apollonia in his works, Cicero lived here in solitude for a long time.
Bulis
Bulis
All lovers of antiquity should definitely visit the ancient city of Bulis. Although it is not so easy to find! The city is located on the right bank of the Vjosa River, on the top of a mountain, not far from the city of Balsh. But the road there is not very good, so it is better to travel by SUV. Bulis was founded at the end of the 4th century BC and got its name in honor of the Illyrian tribe of Bouli. Along with Butrint and Apollonia, Bulis was first a Greek colony, and then came under Roman rule. Bulis is not mentioned at all in Russian-language literature, so few people know about it. But in fact, it is a real open-air museum, which occupies an area of more than 30 hectares. The ruins of the ancient Basilica, the Baths of Justinian, the ancient theater and much more have been preserved here.
Orikum
Orikum
About 40 km from Apollonia there is another ancient city called Oricum, founded, most likely, by people from Troy. Oricum reached its peak in the 3rd century BC, when the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar lived here for some time and stationed his troops here. Today, on the territory of the ancient city you can see the ruins of the Orchestra, a small amphitheater, as well as parts of houses and streets that are clearly visible.
Amantia
Amantia
This ancient city was founded in the 5th century BC and was for a long time the capital of the Illyrian tribe of Amantes. Today it is a large archaeological park, not far from the city of Vlora. The main finds made during excavations in Amanti are now kept in the Archaeological and National History Museum in Tirana. On the territory of Amanti, such landmarks as a stadium, a small acropolis and a Doric temple dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite have been preserved.
Albanopoli
Albanopoli
Not far from the city of Kruja, near a place called Zgerdhesh, is the ancient city of Albanopoli, which until the 2nd century BC was the center of the Illyrian tribe of Albanians. It is from this tribe and from this place that the current name of Albania comes.
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