German, Albanian archaeologists working to rediscover Apollonia

“We have focused on the full discovery of the ancient theatre of Apollonia. Excavations so far have brought to light many details of the huge building and its architecture such as the time of its construction, the stairs, and the seat of the orchestra,” says Manuel Fiedler, a German archaeologist.
TIRANA, Nov. 6 – With funding of around 1 million euros, a joint German-Albanian team is working to discover more in the ancient Apollonia archaeological park, the second biggest in Albania, where only an estimated 10 percent of the ruins have been unearthed.
Manuel Fiedler, a German archaeologist, describes his experience at the the Apollonia archaeological park as a great professional opportunity.
“This is one of the greatest ancient theatres in the whole of the Mediterranean with around 15,000 seats comparable to the Durres amphitheatre, the country’s biggest, for its dimensions. To me, this is a great professional opportunities,” he tells Deutsche Welle in the local Albanian service.
“We have focused on the full discovery of the ancient theatre of Apollonia. Excavations so far have brought to light many details of the huge building and its architecture such as the time of its construction, the stairs, and the seat of the orchestra,” he adds.
Bashkim Lahi, an Albanian archaeologist describes cooperation with German colleagues as very fruitful for the graphic reconstruction of the theatre but warns field excavations require further funding to shed to light into the European heritage in the ancient town of Apollonia.
Excavations in the Apollonia park began during World War I by Austrian archaeologists. The process continues as it is believed that most of the city is still deep below Apollonia’s hills.
Established in the 7th century B.C., by Greek settlers, the ancient city of Apollonia is located 11 km to the west of the modern city of Fier.
Among the most interesting monuments worth visiting are the Bouleterion (city council), the library, the triumphal arch, the temple of Artemis, the Odeon built in the 2nd century B.C., the two-storey 77 m long Stoa, a theater with a capacity 10,000 spectators, and the Nymphaeum, a monumental water fountain covering an area of 2000m2.
The Apollonia archaeological park, the second largest archeologist park situated in the southwestern region of Fier, will benefit from an EU-funded project supporting the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage in the Western Balkans, Albanian authorities have confirmed.
The Portico of the Apollonia park, damaged a couple of years ago by landslides, has been scheduled to be restored under the project. Built in the IV century A.D the Portico, contains a collection of statues of distinguished heroes of the era. However, since three years because of the damage of the portico, the statues have been transferred in other open-air facilities.
The Apollonia park also features a museum with some of the most important artifacts discovered in the park.
Closed down on safety grounds in the early 90s, the archaeological museum of Apollonia, reopened its doors in December 2011 after 20 years. Restored under UN and UNESCO assistance, the reopened museum in the south-western district of Fier, features 750 archaeological items and ancient coin treasuries, displayed in a 1,000 m2 area, previously stored in the Archaeology Institute of Tirana.