City of Butrint - Butrint National Park, Albania
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member oiseau_ca
N 39° 44.634 E 020° 01.143
34S E 415953 N 4399793
preserved architectural remnants of the ancient city of Butrint located in the Butrint National Park, Albania
Waymark Code: WM11JZZ
Location: Albania
Date Posted: 11/03/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
Views: 5

These preserved architectural remnants of the ancient city of Butrint are located in the Butrint National Park, Albania.

According to Wikipedia, "Butrint (Latin: Buthrotum; from Ancient Greek: Bouthrotón , romanized: Bouthrotón) was an ancient Greek and later Roman city and bishopric in Epirus. Perhaps inhabited since prehistoric times, Buthrotum was a city of the Epirote tribe of the Chaonians, later a Roman colony and a bishopric. It entered into decline in Late Antiquity, before being abandoned during the Middle Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city. In modern times it is an archeological site in Vlorë County, Albania, some 14 kilometres south of Sarandë and close to the Greek border. It is located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel and is part of the Butrint National Park. Today Bouthrotum is a Latin Catholic titular see and also features the Ali Pasha Castle.

The city is considered as one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. On the strength of the immense wealth of cultural, historical and natural value with a considerable history, Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992 and further a National Park in 2000.

In 228 BC Buthrotum became a Roman protectorate alongside Corfu. In the middle of the second century BC, Buthrotum was the centre of an independent state, possibly the "Koinon of the Prasaiboi", as listed in the list of the theorodokoi at the Oracle of Delphi.

In the next century, it became a part of a province of Macedonia. In 44 BC, Caesar designated Buthrotum as a colony to reward soldiers who had fought for him against Pompey. Local landholder Titus Pomponius Atticus objected to his correspondent Cicero who lobbied against the plan in the Senate. As a result, only small numbers of colonists were settled.

In 31 BC, Roman Emperor Augustus fresh from his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium renewed the plan to make Buthrotum a veterans' colony. New residents expanded the city and the construction included an aqueduct, a Roman bath, houses, a forum complex and a nymphaeum. During that era the size of the town was doubled. A number of new structures were built next to the existing ones especially around the theatre and the temple of Asklepeios.

In the 3rd century AD, an earthquake destroyed a large part of the town, levelling buildings in the suburbs on the Vrina Plain and in the forum of the city centre. Excavations have revealed that city had already been in decline. However, the settlement survived into the late antique era, becoming a major port in the province of Old Epirus. The town of late antiquity included the grand Triconch Palace, the house of a major local notable that was built around 425".

Source: Wikipedia.

The coordinates are located near the entrance to the park.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.

Admission Fee: Price adult 700 lekë, children under 8yrs free, family ticket per person 300 lekë

Opening days/times:
Hours 8am-sunset, museum 8am-4pm


Web Site: [Web Link]

Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed

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Cyrano-Bella visited City of Butrint - Butrint National Park, Albania 10/26/2019 Cyrano-Bella visited it