Apollonia, Qyteti Antik Ilir

If you’re interested in history, you will find plenty here in Appollonia. The city was inhabited by many different populations, like the early Illyrian tribes, the Greeks from Corfu and Corinth and later on the Romans. As one site says, “The Romans added to its splendour”. Inevitably, the following of the different inhabitants and rulers of the city led to a mix of architecture and artifacts which defined the “Appollonian culture”.

Unfortunately, only a very small portion of the city remains from its ancient prestigious gloriousness, due to its decline, when the river Aous changed its course after an earthquake. The harbour was silted up, and since then, the city’s attractiveness wasn’t as high as before.

You will find a beautiful monastery, ruins of a small amphitheater, vestiges of an acropole, which was the entry to an other building (agonothèthes), an obelisk and many more ancient structures. In the monastery there are also remains of Roman busts and statues, a tomb, some mosaics and much more. On top of that, the monastery houses an archeological museum with more artifacts from the site.

According to UNESCO, the city is one of the most important cities in the Adriatic basin and the Mediterranean and it’s “preserved in an exceptionally intact condition”.

There are also a couple of restaurants on the site, where you can get refreshments and food.