Long Description
The city of Butrint is one of the fragments which form the
fabric of Albania's ancient cultural landscape. Nestling in the
highlands in the far south of the country and surrounded by dense
vegetation, Butrint was linked to the Mediterranean by the Vivari canal,
which runs from the Butrint Lake to the Ionian Sea.
The settlement became an important stop along the merchant trade
routes and reached the height of its glory in the 4th century BC as one
of the major maritime and commercial centres of the ancient world. The
sight of the fortifications alone, which date from the 6th century BC,
evokes the military and economic potential of the city at the time. The
hill on which the acropolis stands is encircled by a wall built from
huge stone blocks. 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 worshiped 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.
Under the rule of the Romans the city was to fall slowly into decay.
In spite of this, three monumental fountains, three public baths, a
gymnasium decorated with mosaics, and especially the aqueduct
constructed during the reign of Augustus, prove that the site was not
completely abandoned.
In the palaeo-Christian period, two basilicas and a baptistry were
built; its later medieval history was turbulent as the town was
involved, first, in the power struggles between Byzantium and successive
Norman, Angevin and Venetian states and then in the conflict between
Venice and the Ottoman Turks. Subterranean infiltration of water forced
the inhabitants to flee, and the abandoned city was covered by mud and
vegetation.
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that systematic
excavations were carried out by Italian archaeologists; following the
liberation of Albania in 1944, Albanian archaeologists undertook more
ambitious excavations. The mud and vegetation that covered Butrint had
protected it from the natural and human ravages of time, and the entire
city was revealed almost intact.
Key areas of excavation include a late antique palatial dwelling
known as the Triconch Palace, the spectacular late antiquity baptistry,
and a Roman villa and associated late antiquity church at Diaporit.
Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC
Historical Description
The site. on a hill next to a lake connected to the sea by a
canal. has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A Greek colony was
founded there in the late 7th century BC. when the city (called Buthros)
was surrounded by fortifications. Roman occupation prompted the
development of the city and. during the Christian era. it became the
seat of a bishopric. Many religious structures were built by the
Christians. From the time the Slavs came to the Balkans (7th century)
until the founding of the Epirus despotate (after the taking of
Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204). the city underwent great
trials. Its last era of prosperity was under Byzantine administration
(Epirus). After a short period of occupation by the Venetians (late 14th
century). the city under Ottoman administration was threatened by the
marshes that formed around the lake. and was abandoned by the
population.
This archaeological site is a veritable conservatory of major
monuments in ruins from each period of the city's development. Thus. the
fortifications bear testimony to the different stages of their
construction from the time of the Greek colony until the Middle Ages.
The most interesting ancient Greek monument is the theatre. which is
fairly well preserved. The major ruin from the paleo-Christian era is
the baptistery. built inside the Roman public baths. The floor has a
beautiful mosaic decoration. The paleo-Christian basilica was rebuilt in
the 9th century and the ruins are sufficiently well preserved to permit
analysis of the structure (three naves with a transept. and an exterior
polygonal apse).
Source: Advisory Body Evaluation
