Butrint - Definition and Overview

Remains of an amphitheater (Photo by Marc Morell)

Remains of a chapel

Butrint (Albanian: Butrint or Butrinti) is a city and an archeological site in Albania, close to the Greek border.

Originally an Illyrian town, it was taken by the Romans in 167 BC. It was later occupied by the Byzantine Empire and the republic of Venice, before it was abandoned in the late Middle Ages.

The ruins, excavated after World War II, include an amphitheatre, a Roman bath, a chapel from the 5th century, a basilica from the 6th century, a town gate (called the "Lion Gate"), and a medieval Venetian castle from the 14th century, which is a museum today. The remains of Butrint are included in the UNESCO World Heritage.

Butrint is accessible from Saranda, along a road built in 1959 for the visit by Khrushev.

See also

• List of cities in Albania
• Tourism in Albania

External links

• Photo Albums: [1] (http://www.shqiperia.com/foto/butrinti1.php) [2] (http://www.shqiperia.com/foto/butrinti2.php)
• Butrint Foundation (http://www.butrintfound.dial.pipex.com)
• More information (http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/unesco/butrint.html) on Butrint from The History Channel

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