Butrint – An Archaeological Park Hidden From the World
This post outlines what a typical walk though the Butrint Archaeological park is like. In roman times, this former roman colony was a leading urban center in the coastal Balkans, before undergoing a long and slow decline. During the years of communist government, the Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha closed the site off, along with the rest of his country to the outside world. Luckily for me, Enver is long gone and I was able to enjoy a site that is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and an Albanian National Park.
Table of Contents
Geography
Butrint [Buthrotum], is a ruin lying south of the Albanian city of Saranda. It is presently located on a large inland peninsula, with access to the sea through a natural channel to the Adriatic. Today the region is a rapidly silting marsh area, but once this was a powerful seagoing port. The peninsula is separated from the southern shore by way of the Vivar Chanel and it separated on other sides by a large inland lagoon called Lake Butrint. The peninsula has a large hill in its center making it an ideal location to build a defensive settlement.
Please reference the map below to see the location of important structures in Butrint.
Historical Eras
In this post we go through the archeological park, just as I did during my visit. I will take the time to explain the different eras of human occupation that took place at the site and then proceed to outline the important structures that compose the park. This should provide you with a timeline of when, and how, Butrint rose to fame and promptly became abandoned.
Greek Rule
This Epirot (Northern Greek tribe) settlement was likely founded between the 8th and 10th century. According to the roman poet Virgil, it was founded by Helenus, a son of Priam of Troy and refugee after the fall of that city. An acropolis was build on the hill to serve as the center of Greek life. The city has close association with the Corinthian colony of Corfu [Kérkyra] and became their subject after the second Peloponnesian war. After this the city would quickly grow in importance, three circuit wall are built along with a shrine to Asclepius [god of medicine], a theater and an agora.
Roman Rule
Under roman rule, the city became a legionnaire colony and continued to expand. The city quickly doubled in population. Important public buildings such as an aqueduct, a forum and a bathhouse were built. This era was the high water mark for the settlement. It was hit by an earthquake in the 3rd century A.D but retained it’s importance in the roman world.
Byzantine Rule
After the split of Rome, the declining city became part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) empire. Fearing the advancing Slavic tribes, the city walls were rebuilt. It was one of the last holdouts in Old Epirus. During this time the basilica was built along with many churches and a baptistery. The city began to recover some of its luster after the 10th century becoming a densely populated market town.
Latin Rule
The city was lost during the Fourth Crusade when the orthodox Byzantine Empire was betrayed by the catholic west. It then became a point of contention between the Latin West and the Byzantines, being traded between them multiple times. The city became catholic, rather than orthodox under Latin rule. The town was greatly reduced in population due to the tumultuous nature of the era and a devastating earthquake that flooded the city. By the end of the 14th century it was almost empty.
Venetian Rule
Venice purchased Butrint and nearby Corfu from the Latin’s in 1386. This was to complement the defenses of the Venetian Stato da Màr (oversea possessions). Although the population recovered during early Venetian rule, Venice was more interested in the island of Corfu and let the city continue to languish. During the following conflicts with the with the Ottoman Empire, the remains of the city were devastated. By 1572, Venice abandoned the town and transferred administration to a small triangular fortress on the Vivar Chanel. Although the city was dead, the healthy fisheries of Lake Butrint continued to supply Corfu.
Ali Pasha (Turkish Rule)
After the republic of Venice was abolished by the French under Napoleon, the territory became part of France. Ali Pasha, the cruel Ottoman warlord and despot of Epirus seized the opportunity and captured the old Venetian Outpost. It would remain in Turkish hands until Albania gained its independence in 1913. By this time the lagoon had began silting up and malaria kept the settlement from gaining population.
Modern Era
It quickly became part of Northern Epirus, a Greek breakaway state before settling into Albania, virtue of Italian interference. Archaeological excavation were conducted under Italian occupation in 1928 until the Second World War. The ruin was closed off from the world during the communist years
Exploring Butrint
The road that leads from Saranda to the complex was build in 1959, for the visit if Nikita Khrushchev, one of the few visitors to the site during the communist rule of Albania. It takes you across the narrow part of the peninsula, to the hill that the city was built on. The bus will drop you off at a small parking lot, where you can buy your entry ticket at the toll gate. The site is tourist friendly with signposts in many different languages.
When you enter the park is some of the more recent history of the site. On the other side of the Vivar Channel, opposite to a small ferry launch, you will see the triangular fortress and on your side of the river a tower. Both are remnants of the Venetian fortifications, protecting the fisheries.
After a brief walk in the woods, you will come across the ruins of a theater and the agora. These are remarkably preserved and are especially beautiful in the spring when the flowers bloom a bright purple. This is the classic view of Butrint and can be found proudly displayed on the entry tickets. The ruins in this area date from both the Roman and Greek eras.
The next area you will enter, mostly dates from the medieval era and includes buildings such as basilica, the gymnasium and the baptistery. These byzantine era buildings would have seen changes or alterations during the Latin occupations. Additionally there are the ruins of a palace down by the water but it is mostly just foundation walls. The basilica is the most impressive of these buildings, with most of the walls still standing. Meanwhile the baptistery is known for its mosaics, although they are unfortunately hidden by a layer of sand to protect them. The building dates from the 6th century and is a great example of early medieval religious architecture in the late Roman Empire.
As you continue though the ruins, you will witness several layers of city walls including well preserved city gates. The most impressive of which is the lions gate, a ruined entryway that give you an idea of the construction and architecture of such structures. Be sure to look behind you after passing though the gate, the stone door lintel has a detailed relief of a lion eating a bull.
The next area is further up the mountain, near the site of the of Greek acropolis. Here you will come across the shrine of Aesculapius, an important shrine to the Greek god of medicine.
At the top of the hill you have the Venetian era castle looking out over the lake. If the tower is open you can climb up for a overhead view of the site, if not do explore the castle. It has been turned into a very informative museum displaying many of the artifacts found on the site. The artifacts are well organized and include signage in English.
Conclusion
On my drive back to Saranda I had time to reflect on my day at Butrint. The layout of the site made for a great interactive experience and I was very impressed with the effort put into the interpretation of the history. As the marshy lagoon faded from view, from the window I could see the town of Xamil appear. Xamil has one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic and is an excellent stop-off if you have time.
