As Albania’s most famous cultural heritage destinations, the archeological park of Butrint and the towns of Gjirokastra and Berat, all three inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, remain must-see travel destination even this summer when all attention is on the numerous Albanian sandy and rocky beaches.
Experts suggest tourists visiting Albania are strongly recommended to visit these three sites in southern Albania, especially if on holiday nearby, in order to get to know Albania’s cultural heritage better through the ruins of Illyrian, Greek, Roman and Ottoman civilizations.
Butrint park
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development.
Excavations carried out by Albanian and foreign expeditions continue shedding light on the ancient settlement. In 1992, Butrint was designated as a World Heritage Site – a status that identifies cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value.
The National Park was established in 2000 affording Butrint full protection within Albanian law. The original 26 sq km of the park boundaries were in 2005 expanded to 86 sq km.
The amphitheatre, dating from the 3rd century BC, bears witness to the cultural riches of the city the stone banks of seating, of which 23 rows have been preserved, would have held an audience of 1,500. The theatre is situated at the foot of the acropolis, close by two temples, one of which is dedicated to Asclepios, the Greek god of medicine, who was worshipped by the city’s inhabitants.
Excavations have brought the light to many objects – plates, vases, ceramic candlesticks – as well as sculptures including a remarkable ‘Goddess of Butrint’ which seems to completely embody, in the perfection of its features, the Greek ideal of physical beauty.
Gjirokastra
Inscribed on UNESCO as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period, Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period. The 13th-century citadel provides the focal point of the town with its typical tower houses.
The historic town of Gjirokastra is a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estates. The architecture is characterized by the construction of a type of tower house (Turkish ‘kule’), of which Gjirokastra represents a series of outstanding examples, according to UNESCO.
The history, culture and traditions of Gjirokastra and its Drino valley are featured in the newest museum that has opened at the southern Albanian town which has been under UNESCO protection since 2005. Situated in the indoor premises of the local Argjiro fortress, the museum documents Gjirokastra’s 2000-year-old history, bringing evidence of the life of its inhabitants, its most prominent figures and archeological remains discovered in the Drino Valley, especially in the Hadrianapoilis Park.
Cerciz Topulli, Musine Kokalari, Ismail Kadare are some of the local heroes displayed in the museum stands. A special corner has also been dedicated to late Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, who ruled the country for 40 years, from 1945 to 1985. Some of the dictator’s photos featuring him visiting his hometown of Gjirokastra and some of his political writings are displayed in a special stand.
The museum is the third in Gjirokastra after the arms museum in the local fortress and the ethnographic museum located in the house of late dictator Enver Hoxha.
Berat
Six years after its UNESCO inscription, the southern UNESCO town of Berat faces a series of challenges with the preservation of its monuments, illegal constructions and road infrastructure.
Since 2008, Berat has been inscribed as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in southwestern Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417.
Berat bears witness to a town which was fortified but open, and was over a long period inhabited by craftsmen and merchants. Its urban centre reflects a vernacular housing tradition of the Balkans, examples of which date mainly from the late 18th and the 19th centuries. This tradition has been adapted to suit the town’s life styles, with tiered houses on the slopes, which are predominantly horizontal in layout, and make abundant use of the entering daylight.
