albgen

The town of Butrinti is one of the fragments that constitute the fabric of Albania's ancient cultural landscape. Immersed in the high lands in the far south of the country and surrounded by dense vegetation, Butrinti was doubly protected by nature and the fortifications that its inhabitants built in ancient times. However, this was not sufficient to isolate the city from the rest of the world. Less than ten kilometers from the island of Corfu, Butrinti was linked to the Mediterranean Vivari of the channel, which was held from Butrinti Lake Ionian Sea.

The proximity of the sea and lake, the mild climate and beauty of the surrounding countryside provided a splendid environment for the foundation of a town. In taking advantage of this site, the architects of the past, what has been built to become a major maritime and commercial centers of the ancient world. Butrinti reached the height of his glory in the 4 th century BC, when the city numbered 10000 inhabitants. The view of the sun fortifications, which date from 6 century BC, evokes the military and economic potential of the city at that time. The hill on which stands the Acropolis is surrounded by a wall built of huge blocks of stone. In places this wall is two meters high and 3.5 metres wide.

For centuries, the walls faithfully defended Butrinti, but is not invincible wall, and these huge blocks of stone finally succumbed to the onslaught of the Roman legions which landed on the Adriatic and Ionian shores in 2 century BC Under the domain of the occupants, was Butrinti to decline slowly in decline. Despite this, three fountains monumental, three bathrooms, a gym decorated with mosaics, and especially the aqueduct built during the reign of Augustus, demonstrate that the site has not been completely abandoned. Augusto also oversaw the reconstruction of all the ancient walls and building new fortifications. Christianity has led to new life Butrinti. The paleo-Christian period adorned the city with two basilicas and a baptistery, which is among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean region. Sixteen granite columns, forming two concentric circles, support the roof of the main hall. The floor is paved with a magnificent mosaic that represents the Tree of Life and decorated with medallions embellished with motifs animals.

Norman barbarian incursions and raids in the eleventh century, a catastrophic earthquake in 1153, conquered by the Venetians in 1386, the underground water infiltration and subsequent epidemics completed the ruin of the city and the inhabitants forced to flee. Butrinti was buried in silence and oblivion. Throughout the occupation by the Ottoman Empire, from 15 to 20 centuries, the city has remained in deep sleep. The waters covered the Butrinti in the mud, and abundant vegetation completely hidden the remains of view. It was not until early 20 th century that systematic excavations were carried out in Butrinti by Italian archaeologist I. Ugolini, followed by his compatriots P. Marconi and D. Mustili. Between 1928 and 1941, the land was cleared and the ancient city gradually began to reveal its hidden treasures. Following the liberation of Albania in 1944, Albanian archeologists have committed more ambitious excavations. In turn, the ramparts, the Acropolis, the agora, the amphitheater, temples, public baths and private residences re-emerged in the light of day. The whole city is kind, almost intact, under the gaze of fascinated archaeologists. The mud and vegetation that had covered Butrinti protected from natural and human ravages of time.

Butrinti is declared in 1992 UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Park is a "concentrated" in the History of the Mediterranean that has seen in the past from the fourth century BC the passage of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks.