Butrint

Butrint occupies a small hill surrounded by the waters of Lake Butrint and the Vivari Channel, which links the lake to the Ionian Sea, south of Saranda and a fe…Butrint occupies a small hill surrounded by the waters of Lake Butrint and the Vivari Channel, which links the lake to the Ionian Sea, south of Saranda and a few kilometres north of the border with Greece. UNESCO describes occupation from about 50,000 BC to the 19th century: a settlement influenced by Greek culture from 800 BC, a Roman colony from 44 BC, an episcopal centre from the 5th century AD, and later Byzantine, Angevin and Venetian rule. At the start of the 19th century Ali Pasha added a fortress at the mouth of the Vivari Channel.

The standing remains include the city walls, a Greek theatre, a baptistery with a mosaic floor, a basilica rebuilt in the 9th century and two castles. Butrint was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 and the property was extended in 1999.

The archaeological site sits inside Butrint National Park, established in 2000, which also protects the lagoon, the Vivari Channel and the Ksamil islets. The Butrint wetlands were designated a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance, in 2003.