Butrint is an archaeological site that provides valuable evidence of ancient and medieval civilizations on the territory of modern Albania.
Butrint harbors some of the most extensive archaeological remains in the Balkans: Greek, Illyrian, Roman, Venetian, and Ottoman ruins co-exist here on a tiny green peninsula between a lake and the Straits of Corfu. The most illustrious parts of the rich Butrint archeological site are the Temple of Asklepios, the Old Amphitheater, Nymphaeum, and the Baptistery, with its intact mosaic pavement dating to the early sixth century. The Butrint amphitheater, dating from the 3rd century BC is situated at the foot of the Acropolis, close by two temples, one of which is dedicated to Asclepios, the Greek god of medicine.
The Balkan Theater Festival is held every July at the Butrint amphitheater. The sprawling Butrint fortress of the notorious Ali Pasha is practically surrounded by water, the castle on top housing an excellent museum, high above hollow shells of the ages. At Butrint the only tourists seen are day-trippers from Corfu. The present archaeological site of Butrint is a repository of the ruins representing each period in the Butrint city’s development.
The Butrint National Park has been established in 2000 by the Albanian Government and supported with substantial funds from the Government, UNESCO, and other institutions. The limits of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint were expanded in 1999 to include not only the walled city from the Greek, Roman, and Medieval periods (approximately 16 ha), but an additional 184 ha to better protect the site.
Due to its diverse geological and hydrological conditions and the mosaic distribution of various types of habitats, the location of the park is also one of the main reasons for the great variety of animals and plants. The park falls phytogeographically within the Illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub. The availability of water in the forms of rivers, lakes, and wetlands, influenced by the configuration of the terrain, has a great impact on the biodiversity of this area.
The park contains a diverse assemblage of fauna with over 400 species distributed across the park’s habitats and ecosystems. At least 39 species of mammals, 246 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibia, and 105 species of fish are known to occur within the park’s boundaries.
The park’s forests and shrublands provide an important refuge for 39 species of mammals of which 14 species are classified as globally endangered.