Amphitheatre of Durrës

The Durrës Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre located in the heart of Durrës, Albania. Construction started in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Trajan, and it was devastated twice by earthquakes in the 6th and 10th centuries. With a capacity of 20,000 people, it is the biggest amphitheatre ever erected in the Balkan Peninsula.

Albania’s tentative list for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the amphitheatre. It was found in late 1966 and has since grown in popularity as a tourist destination.

The amphitheatre was constructed in the early second century AD. Until the 4th century AD, it was utilized for performances. The monument was presumably destroyed by the earthquake of 345/346, which also blocked the ‘ludii gladiatorii.’ In the second part of the fourth century, an early Christian chapel was built atop the amphitheatre. The chapel was originally frescoed, but mosaics were added in the sixth century. In the 13th century, a medieval chapel was erected, which was also frescoed. When the wall was erected nearby following the Ottoman takeover in the 16th century, the amphitheatre was covered over. The monument was characterized as “well crafted” by Marin Barleti.

Vangjel Toci found and excavated about a third of the site in the 1960s; Lida Miraj excavated the remainder in the 1980s. The amphitheater gradually deteriorated after excavation since no conservation attempts were made before to the 2000s, and development proceeded surrounding the site. The University of Parma began repair work on the monument in 2004.

The amphitheatre is oval in form, with axes measuring 132.4 meters (434 feet) and 113.2 meters respectively (371 ft). The arena measures 61.4 metres (201 feet) by 42.2 metres (138 feet) and stands at a height of 20 metres (66 feet). It is situated on a hill’s slope, and there are many levels of stairs and galleries inside the amphitheatre. The mosaic-covered chapel has been maintained.

The city of Durrës surrounds the amphitheatre on all sides, and contemporary housing has been erected over a piece of the arena itself. As a result, development pressures pose a danger to the site’s long-term preservation. The homes will be demolished by the municipality of Durrës.

The amphitheatre is structurally deficient, and the mosaics and murals are deteriorating.

Europa Nostra named the amphitheatre, along with thirteen other monuments, as one of Europe’s most endangered cultural heritage sites in 2013.

The location now serves as a museum.