Durrës: The ancient Adriatic port that survived empires, earthquakes, and name changes for millennia.

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded as Epidamnos by Greek colonists in 627 BC, this Albanian city has served as a Roman naval base, a Byzantine stronghold, and an Ottoman trade hub. From its massive ancient amphitheatre to its modern industrial port, Durrës remains a vital gateway where history is etched into every stone.

Durrës, one of Albania's oldest continuously inhabited cities, boasts roughly 2,500 years of recorded history. Originally established as Epidamnos by colonists from Corinth and Corcyra, the city was later renamed Dyrrachium by the Romans. Ancient writers, including Pliny the Elder, suggested the Romans preferred the new name because 'Epidamnos' sounded too much like the Latin word for 'harm' or 'loss'. Archaeological evidence reveals that the city likely began as two distinct districts: a hill settlement and a port area, a duality that persisted for centuries.

The city's strategic location made it the western terminus of the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road connecting the Adriatic to Constantinople. Its fortifications were legendary; after a 5th-century earthquake, Emperor Anastasius I rebuilt walls so thick that historian Anna Komnene claimed four horsemen could ride abreast upon them. Throughout the Middle Ages, the city was a prize contested by Bulgarians, Venetians, and the Ottoman Empire, which held it for over 400 years starting in 1501.

In the 20th century, Durrës saw rapid transformation. It served as Albania's capital briefly after the 1912 declaration of independence and again between 1914 and 1920. Despite suffering heavy damage during both World Wars and multiple earthquakes, the city rebuilt itself into Albania's primary seaport. Today, it houses the largest amphitheatre in the Balkans, a structure once capable of holding 20,000 spectators, standing as a testament to its enduring role as a major Mediterranean crossroads.

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