Durrës Archaeological Museum, “Adriatic treasure”

For 3000 years Durrës has been the connecting point of trade that took place in the Mediterranean basin and the Eastern Adriatic, being called by ancient authors as the “Adriatic Tavern”.

Today the city has the largest archeological museum in Albania. The old museum was opened in March 1951, exhibiting objects discovered in the underground of the Durrës area. The new museum building opened in 2002 and today has three visitable pavilions, the prehistory, antiquity, and the post-Byzantine pavilion. In addition to the amphorae and anchors discovered at the bottom of the sea, the museum also has a rich fund, which in the future will be part of the medieval pavilion.

In the Archaeological Museum of Durrës, compared to a year ago, in recent months the number of visitors from inside and outside the country has increased significantly.

“This year, compared to last year, we have about 40 percent more visitors, mostly foreigners but also local visitors. We are also in full cooperation with ‘tour operation’ agencies, which bring tourists from all over the world. “The main novelty of this year is that we have had visitors from countries that have not been very referential to Albania”, said for us Albert Koni, head of the museum and amphitheater of Durrës.

The stone and iron objects bear traces of prehistory, continuing with the archaic period, while those made of ceramics dating from the IV century BC, show the cultural and economic development of the city, throughout the Hellenistic period. While coins minted in ancient Dyrrahun testify to the development of the city throughout the Roman period.

“All the objects that are exhibited in the museum have been found in Durrës and around Durrës. There are over 2000 objects, a large part of them are of unique value that can be visited only in the Museum of Durrës “, said archaeologist Bledar Bica, guide of the Archaeological Museum of Durrës.

The museum is located in “Taulantia Promenade”, near “Vollga” and in the tourist season, from May 1 to October 15, is open every day (Monday – Sunday), from 09:00 to 19:00. Throughout the winter the museum stays open from 09:00 to 16:00, from Tuesday to Sunday (Monday is a holiday).

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Geri Emiri
Graduated in Journalism and Communication at the University of Tirana. He has worked in several online media and television. He is the founder and online editor of the non-profit blog “Amfora.al”, profiled in reporting on archeology and cultural monuments in Albania. He currently also works as a freelance journalist.

Sami Curri
Sami Curri graduated in Journalism and Communication at the University of Tirana. He has worked in several online media and on television. He is the founder and editor of the portal “bulqizaime.al”, profiled in the reporting on the region of Dibra. He currently also works as a freelance journalist.