Butrint National Park

Butrint National Park is among the most significant sites of our cultural, archaeological, environmental, and touristic heritage. The center of the National Park is the ancient city of Butrint, whose existence persisted continuous from prehistory to the medieval centuries, so providing a range of historical cultures and eras. In 1948, the ancient city of Butrint was first designated as a monument kulture under the Albanian statute governing cultural monuments due to its great historical and cultural significance. In 1981, the Forest of Butrint was classified as environmentally significant under Albanian conservation regulations.

Butrint was the first ancient site of the Republic of Albania to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

Legends

The different traditions recounted by Homer and Virgil, such as the building of Butrint by Trojan refugees following the destruction of Troy in the 13th century B.C., are also part of the history of the ancient city. In his epic poem Aeneids, Virgil, a poet of the Roman court during the Agustian era, described the visit of Aeneas, the mythological founder of Rome, to Butrint. According to her, Aenea encounters Helen of Troy (daughter of King Priam), who had married Andromaka, Hector’s widow, and, after the death of Pirro Neoptolem, ruled the province of Kaonia. According to tradition, the derivation of the name Buthrotos related to the city Helen erected at the site where a wounded bull collapsed. Butrint’s tale is also connected to other tales, such as that of Pan’s death and the cries of nymphs, as well as medea’s burial.