Description

History of the city - port
Durrës has a 3,000-year history and the life of the city over the centuries is closely related to the port built next to it.
It is the city most appreciated and mentioned by ancient, medieval and modern authors, geographers, historians, poets, philosophers, comedians, archaeologists, visitors or different travelers.
The city inhabited since its beginnings by the Taulante Illyrians was first known by the names Epidamn and Dyrrah, to later acquire the current name in Albanian, Durrës.
Despite the invasions, wars or earthquakes that have hit it, Durrës and the port have been rebuilt in the same place.
After 3 millennia of uninterrupted life, Durrës is considered the oldest surviving city on the eastern coast of the Adriatic from Vlora to Trieste.
In the National Archaeological Museum of the city, the largest in our country, evidence of the continuation of civic life has been exhibited since the beginning of the first millennium BC, while recent underwater archaeological discoveries have proven the importance of the port in the Mediterranean maritime space.
Relics of ancient ships, ceramic vessels and ship anchors, dating from different periods, up to 2,500 years have recently been discovered near Durrës, clarifying also the economic vectors of maritime trade exchanges between the city and the ports of the region in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Durrës acquires an extremely important dimension in the 2nd century of our era, when the "Egnatia" road was built, which united the cities of the Roman empire with its colonies up to Constantinople (today's Istanbul).
The "Egnatia" road, which started from Durrës, turned the city into the most important harbor on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
The city and the port near it continue to maintain their importance even in the early medieval period, and also after the creation of the state of Arbër.
After the Ottoman occupation, at the beginning of the 20th century, the port of Durrës gradually regained its economic importance, also thanks to the settling in the city of the sailors from Ulcinj, who moved from Ulcinj to the ports of Albania.
After the 1950s, the Seaport experienced rapid development. Ships of the commercial fleet, sailing from Durrës to the ports of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, transported various processed goods to the port.
Even today, Durrës has undergone great transformations as a city, while the port has turned into a free gateway of peaceful communication, which aims to connect the countries of the Balkans with the countries of the United European Union.
Together with the city, the port has also had a significant progress, both in infrastructure and technology, also gaining the status of the Port Authority, like many ports of the EU countries.
POSITION
The city of Durrës is located in the northern part of the bay with the same name (latitude 41° 19' north, and longitude 19° 27' east).
It is located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, south of the city, and in the northern part of the Bay of Durrës.
This sea bay is about 18 km long from north to south. To the west of the water line, the depth is more than 10m.
The bay of Durrës is well protected from the north-west winds from the cape of Durrës, and from the cape of Lagji from the south-east winds.
The port is also protected from the east and west by breakwaters built years ago.
The Bay of Durrës provides a safe anchorage in the harbor for ships waiting to be processed in the port.
Durrës, Port, Tourism and Tradition
The beaches with curative sand and an attractive view, with a total length of 62 km from I Agait Stream in the south to Cape Rodoni in the north, make Durrës one of the most frequented tourist towns in the country.
The traditional beach in the south of the city, but also that of Currilava or even that of Lalëz, as well as the large number of hotels and tourist services make Durrës one of the most frequented areas of the country.
In recent years, the tourist variety has been increased by the arrival of cruise ships and yachts of various types, which anchor in the port of Durrës almost throughout the year.
The Durrës Port Authority takes care of the services and conditions of entry and exit of vessels, as well as the safety of tourists in the port area.
A large number of tourists arrive in the city on ferries of cruise lines from Bari, Ancona and Trieste (Italy) to Durrës.
The ancient amphitheater, the medieval Torra and the Byzantine Walls, the circular Forum and the Baths of the Roman period, the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museums, together with the "Alexandër Moisiu" Museum, are some of the museum objects of the city, most visited by local and foreign tourists.

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