The city of Berat, one of the rare cities of Albania, which dates back to the very dawns of humanity and where life began to be organized more than 2400 years ago is expected to be proclaimed by UNESCO part of the world’s wealth at the end of June, say official sources at the Albanian Ministry of Culture. The file was submitted in January this year and will be subjected to final review at a special meeting of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Community expected to be held in Canada at the end of this month. Cities like Berat are regarded by experts as cities with beginnings which are not simple. The pro-civilisation period continued for almost two thousand years. The discovery in the walls of the castle of two hammers made of flint stone and metallic (copper and bronze) elements which date back to the beginning of the Bronze Age (2000 years before Christ), prove this. The later discovery of many other pieces of ceramics indicates a build up of settlements which took place in this center. Until in the IV Century before Christ, the location was slowly transformed into a castle on the crest of a hill to the right of the River Osum. This marked the origin of the city. The castle with Illyrian foundations survived through the Centuries. Not only is it one of the biggest of inhabited castles but it is also an archive of stone which offers a variety of styles and contributions made over the different epochs such as Roman, Byzantine, Albanian and Ottoman. Another castle that of Gorica also dates back to the same period IV Century before Christ and it stands on the hill opposite.
Antipatrea or BargulƷhere does the story start?
Its interesting to know that Tolomeo Lagosi was born in Berat. He was the son of Philip of Macedonia and the founder of the Tolomene Dynasty in Egypt, which began following the death of Alexander the Great and which continued up until the demise of Cleopatra. In the year 200 after Christ, the city was ruled by the Romans. The fortified city was called Antipatrea by Polibio in the year 216 before Christ. Tito Livio gives the same name later to this city and he describes it as a powerful city anchored to a narrow rocky gorge. There exists another hypothesis regarding the name of the city: the naming of the ancient city Bargul. Tio Livio also mentions this name when he speaks about the Roman-Macedonian Treaty of the year 205 before Christ, which was signed in the city of Dimal. This name which means “white” in Illyrian appears later on in the Byzantium and Slav traditions, while the other name of Antipatrea was mentioned by the Dasarets, which today is a zone between Korca and Pogradec. The Romans also called the city Albanorum Oppidum (Fortress of the Albanians). In the year 148 before Christ the city became a part of the Roman province of Macedonia, while during the Dioklezianos (II Century after Christ) it became a province of New Epirus.
History of the Castle
The castle is the most ancient monument covering 9.6 hectares of land which has been erected on the crest of a hill 187 meters high; re-done by Mehilli of Angel Komneno and later on in the year 400 by the Venetians. It is located in the upper part of the city and it has high surrounding walls divided by 24 towers of different sizes and built at different times. The castle has been constructed with huge square blocks of stone. In the Byzantine period the castle was on the list of fortifications of Justinian, encircling walls encompass the hill, which overlooks today’s city of Berat. It has the shape of an arrow pointing north, earlier on in its history it used to have the shape of a chain together with the hill opposite Gorica, which is six meters high. Mangalemi and Gorica are two of the city’s suburbs which nestle in to the hillside very beautifully. These two city quarters together with the castle which is still inhabited make up the three complexes of the city that are the most characteristic of the area.
