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106-633: He was the youngest son of King Stefan Uroš I and his wife, Helen of Anjou . Unexpectedly he became king of Serbia after the abdication of his brother Stefan Dragutin . He was around 29. Immediately upon his accession to the throne he attacked Byzantine lands in Macedonia. In 1282, he conquered the northern parts of Macedonia including the city of Skoplje , which became his capital. Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos began preparations for war but he died before their completion. The next year Milutin advanced with his brother deep into Byzantine territory all

212-764: A face lift. Durrës is located on the Bay of Durrës on a flat alluvial plain between the river mouths of Erzen and the Ishëm along the Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean Sea . The municipality of Durrës is encompassed in the County of Durrës within the Northern Region of Albania and consists of the adjacent administrative units of Ishëm , Katund i Ri , Manëz , Rrashbull , Sukth and Durrës as its seat. It stretches from

318-546: A number of beach resorts are being built since 2009. Neighboring districts are known for the production of good wine and a variety of foodstuffs. According to the World Bank, Durrës has made significant steps of starting a business in 2016. Durrës ranks ninth among 22 cities in Southeastern Europe before the capital Tirana , Belgrade , Serbia and Sarajevo , Bosnia and Herzegovina. Major roads and railways pass through

424-519: A peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire was signed in 1299. Dragutin in the meantime held lands from Braničevo in the east to the Bosna river in the west. His capital was Belgrade . War broke out between the brothers and lasted, with sporadic cease-fires, until Dragutin's death in 1314. By 1309, Milutin appointed his son, future king Stefan Dečanski , as governor of Zeta . This meant that Stefan Dečanski

530-606: A rocky shore struck by waves on all sides reflects the description of the toponym Dyrrhachion. The distinction between these two districts of the city remained in place even much later. In the 19th century, Durrës proper was the district of the port, while the hill north of it was a separate settlement, Stani (Kodra e Stanit). The modern names of the city in Albanian ( Durrës ) and Italian ( Durazzo , Italian pronunciation: [duˈrattso] ) are derived from Dyrrachium / Dyrrachion . An intermediate, palatalized antecedent

636-456: A war for the throne was fought, which ended with Vladislav being forced to give up the crown in favour of Uroš. It seems that Uroš captured Vladislav. The main resistance against Uroš was led by Vladislav's wife, Beloslava. The hostilities did not last long. Uroš was courteous towards Vladislav, gave him the administration of Zeta . At 25 years of age, he took the throne from his brother Vladislav, and despite not having support from in-laws as

742-455: A year or two later. His remains were later moved to his monastic foundation of Sopoćani . By his wife Helen , who was either an Angevin princess or a daughter of the Latin Emperor of Constantinople , Stefan Uroš I had at least three sons: Durr%C3%ABs Durrës ( / ˈ d ʊr ə s / DUURR -əs , Albanian: [ˈdurəs] ; Albanian definite form : Durrësi )

848-458: Is found in the form Dyrratio , attested in the early centuries AD. The palatalized /-tio/ ending probably represents a phonetic change in the way the inhabitants of the city pronounced its name. The preservation of old Doric /u/ indicates that the modern name derives from populations to whom the toponym was known in its original Doric pronunciation. By contrast, in Byzantine Greek, the name of

954-474: Is located on an artificial basin that is formed between two moles, with a west-northwesterly oriented entrance approximately wide as it passes between the ends of the moles. The port is also a key location for transit networks and passenger ferry, giving Durrës a strategic position with respect to the Pan-European Corridor VIII . The port has experienced major upgrades in recent years culminating with

1060-828: Is mentioned in the Dante Alighieri 's narrative poem Divine Comedy with the characteristics of counterfeiters due to the copying of Venetian money. He is included in The 100 most prominent Serbs list. King Stefan Milutin founded a hospital in Constantinopole , which later became a medical school . He also erected many churches and monasteries in Serbian lands. As a ktetor , he was praised in works of Danilo II , Serbian Archbishop (1324–1337) and other medieval sources. Stefan Uro%C5%A1 I Stefan Uroš I ( Serbian Cyrillic : Стефан Урош I ; c. 1223 – 1 May 1277), known as Uroš

1166-605: Is profoundly influenced by a seasonal Mediterranean climate . Durrës was founded under the name of Epidamnos around the 7th century BC, by ancient Greek colonists from Corinth and Corcyra in cooperation with the Taulantii , a local Illyrian tribe. Also known as Dyrrachium, Durrës essentially developed as it became an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire . The Via Egnatia started in

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1272-406: Is renowned for its traditional mass beach tourism having experienced uncontrolled urban development. The city's beaches are also a popular destination for many foreign and local tourists. In 2012, new water sanitation systems are being installed to eliminate sea water pollution. In contrast, the northern coastal stretch of Lalzit Bay is mostly unspoiled and set to become an elite tourism destination as

1378-678: Is served by the Port of Durrës , one of the largest on the Adriatic Sea, which connects the city to other neighbouring countries. Its most considerable attraction is the Amphitheatre of Durrës that is included on the Albanian tentative list for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Once having a capacity for 20,000 people, it is the largest amphitheatre in the Balkan Peninsula . In antiquity,

1484-578: Is the second-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest continuously inhabited cities , with roughly 2,500 years of recorded history . It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of the Erzen and Ishëm at the southeastern corner of the Adriatic Sea . Durrës' climate

1590-399: Is unclear whether the two toponyms referred originally to different areas of the territory of the city or whether they referred to the same territory. Classical literature indicates that they more probably referred to different neighbouring areas originally. Gradually, the name Epidamnus fell out of use and Dyrrachium became the sole name for the city. Archaeological research has shown that at

1696-623: Is unclear, but it has been suggested that it refers to the imposing cliffs near the city. During the Great Roman Civil War in Illyria, the Battle of Dyrrachium was undertaken by Julius Caesar against Gnaeus Pompey . The battle was a victory for Pompey, but it preceded the more decisive Battle of Pharsalus in Greece where Caesar won. Under Roman rule, Dyrrachium prospered; it became the western end of

1802-459: The Via Egnatia , the great Roman road that led to Thessalonica and on to Constantinople . Another lesser road led south to the city of Buthrotum , the modern Butrint . The Roman emperor Caesar Augustus made the city a colony for veterans of his legions following the Battle of Actium , proclaiming it a civitas libera (free town). In the 4th century, Dyrrachium was made the capital of

1908-694: The Adriatic coast, and Varna , at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast . The National Road 2 (SH2) begins at the Port of Durrës at the Dajlani Overpass, bypasses the road to Tirana International Airport , and ends at the Kamza Overpass in the outskirts of Tirana where it meets National Road 1 (SH1) State Road heading to northern Albania. The Albania–Kosovo Highway is a four-lane highway constructed from 2006 to 2013 between Albania and Kosovo. As part of

2014-777: The Danube . The two however became allies after Milutin married Serbian župan Dragoš to the daughter of Shishman, later Milutin would give his daughter Neda (with title Anna) to Shishman's son Michael who would become the Tsar of Bulgaria in 1323. Milutin and Nogai Khan would soon come into conflict because of the war with the Tsardom of Vidin. Nogai launched a campaign against Serbia but Milutin offered peace sending his son Stefan Dečanski to Nogai's court. Stefan stayed with his entourage there until 1296 or Nogai Khan 's death in 1299. Disputes began between Milutin and his brother Stefan Dragutin after

2120-511: The Republic of Ragusa wanted to eliminate Ragusan brokerage and exploitation in his state. Particular significance in his domestic politics is that he strongly stressed the state principle above all else, and subordinated the churches (both Orthodox and Catholic) to state interests. He was instrumental in the definite solution to the conflict between the archbishoprics of Bar and Dubrovnik regarding power in Serbia, resolved in favour of Bar. Uroš

2226-461: The Roman province of Epirus nova . It was the birthplace of the emperor Anastasius I in c.  430 . Sometime later that century, Dyrrachium was struck by a powerful earthquake which destroyed the city's defences. Anastasius I rebuilt and strengthened the city walls, thus creating the strongest fortifications in the western Balkans. The 12-metre-high (39-foot) walls were so thick that, according to

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2332-511: The Sanjak of Durrës , which was established in 1880 within the vilayet. With the city's economic prosperity and upgrade in status, its demographic decline was also reversed. Many government buildings were built, as well as Western-style hotels and restaurants for private businesses. In 1892-1893 the population of the kaza of Durrës grew to about 4,781, consisting of 3,018 Muslims, 1,514 Orthodox, 201 Catholics, and 48 foreigners. On 26 November 1912, as

2438-585: The 10th century BC), probably the Liburni who expanded southwards in the 9th century BC. The city was founded by Greek colonists in 627 BC on the coast of the Taulantii. According to ancient authors, the Greek colonists helped the Taulantii to expel Liburnians and mixed with the local population establishing the Greek element to the port. A flourishing commercial centre emerged and the city grew rapidly. The fact that about

2544-590: The 6th century BC the citizens of Epidamnus constructed a Doric-style treasury at Olympia confirms that the city was among the richest of the Ancient Greek world . An ancient account describes Epidamnos as 'a great power and very populated' city. After 323 BC Epidamnus-Dyrrhachium was involved in the intervention in Illyria of the Macedonians under Cassander , who clashed with the Illyrians under Glaukias . In 314 BC

2650-662: The Anjous, increased their diplomatic and political activity in the area, by using the Latin bishops, including the archbishop of Durrës. The city had been a religious center of Catholicism after the Anjou were installed in Durrës. In 1272, a Catholic archbishop was installed, and until the mid-14th century there were both Catholic and Orthodox archbishops of Durrës. Two Irish pilgrims who visited Albania on their way to Jerusalem in 1322, reported that Durrës

2756-567: The Byzantine Empire and take Constantinople from the Latin Empire . But when the Latin Empire fell, and Emperor Michael Palaiologos of Nicaea took Constantinople, Uroš began to coalite with his wife's cousin, Charles of Anjou , who wanted to recapture Constantinople, and through that alliance take as much Byzantine land as possible. Via Charles, who had family ties with the Hungarian kings, Uroš at

2862-580: The Byzantine historian Anna Komnene , four horsemen could ride abreast on them. Significant portions of the ancient city defences still remain, although they have been much reduced over the centuries. Like much of the rest of the Balkans , Dyrrachium and the surrounding Dyrraciensis provinciae suffered considerably from barbarian incursions during the Migrations Period . It was besieged in 481 by Theodoric

2968-619: The Byzantine throne. Dyrrachium was lost in February 1082 when Alexios I Komnenos was defeated by the Normans under Robert Guiscard and his son Bohemund in the Battle of Dyrrhachium . Byzantine control was restored a few years later, but the Normans under Bohemund returned to besiege it in 1107–08, and sacked it again in 1185 under King William II of Sicily . In 1205, after the Fourth Crusade ,

3074-600: The French royal family, he lived a modest patriarchal life, happy and content within his family, and he in contrast to the splendor of the Byzantine court, proudly emphasized modesty to the Byzantine deputies, which dominated at his court, where everyone had to work. In foreign policy Uroš skillfully used to his advantage the conflict between the Despotate of Epirus and the Empire of Nicaea , two Greek states, both of which sought to inherit

3180-496: The Great ( Serbian : Урош Велики , romanized :  Uroš Veliki ) was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav . He was one of the most important rulers in Serbian history. During his reign the foundations were laid for the expansion of the Serbian medieval state, which would become an empire in the middle of the 14th century. Stefan Uroš

3286-642: The Great , king of the Ostrogoths , and in subsequent centuries had to fend off frequent attacks by the Bulgarians . Unaffected by the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the city continued under the Byzantine Empire as an important port and a major link between the Empire and western Europe. During the sixth century based on accounts of Procopius , the city was mainly inhabited by a Greek population. The city and

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3392-607: The Macedonian king seized the city but the garrison he established there was in turn besieged and driven out by the Illyrian king and the Corcyrans . In 312 BC, after another unsuccessful attack of Cassander in the region, the city came under the protection of Glaukias. Those events marked the end of Macedonian presence on the Adriatic coast for almost one century. The city probably came under

3498-533: The Mediterranean Sea and the hills in the Western Lowlands in the hinterlands. The summers are predominantly hot and dry, the winters relatively mild, and falls and springs mainly stable, in terms of precipitation and temperatures. The mean monthly temperature ranges between 7.5  °C (45.5  °F ) in winter to 23.8 °C (74.8 °F) in summer. The highest temperature of 39 °C (102 °F)

3604-552: The Ottoman Empire was embroiled in the First Balkan War , a group of nationalists led by Ismail Qemali raised the Albanian flag over Durrës. Albania declared independence two days later, bringing four centuries of Turkish rule in Durrës to an end. Durrës was an active city in the Albanian national liberation movement in the periods 1878–1881 and 1910–1912. Ismail Qemali raised the Albanian flag on 26 November 1912 but

3710-554: The Ottoman cartographer Piri Reis almost 400 years before: "The walls are dilapidated; plane-trees grow on the gigantic ruins of its old Byzantine citadel; and its harbour, once equally commodious and safe, is gradually becoming silted up." During the Tanzimat (reform) era, Durrës was separated from the Sanjak of Elbasan and became a main administrative centre in the reorganised İşkodra Vilayet before 1912; it had its own sanjak , namely

3816-552: The Republic of Venice, but Milutin used them to wage civil war against Dragutin. Later, Novo Brdo became an internationally important silver mining site and significant strategic position, while in the 15th century, Serbia and Bosnia combined produced over 20% of European silver. Time of his reign was marked hostility to Catholicism , particularly in coastal regions, inhabited by religiously mixed population, that included Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Stefan Uroš II Milutin

3922-512: The Serbian domains to his west. Shishman was a vassal of Nogai Khan , Khan of the Golden Horde and sought to expand his territories to the west, invading Serbia coming as far as Hvosno , the Bulgarians failed to capture Zdrelo (near Peć ) and were pursued back to Vidin by the Serbs. Milutin devastated Vidin and the rest of Shishman's dominion, making Shishman take refuge on the other side of

4028-540: The South-East European Route 7, the highway will connect the Adriatic Sea ports of Durrës via Pristina, with the E75/Corridor X near Niš , Serbia. As most tourists come through Kosovo, the laying of the highway make it easier to travel to Durrës. The Port of Durrës , in the south-west of the city, is one of the major ports of the Adriatic Sea and plays a very important role in the city's economy. The port

4134-525: The brief rule of Prince Wilhelm, Prince of Albania . It remained Albania's capital until 11 February 1920, when the Congress of Lushnjë made Tirana the new capital. During the First World War , the city was occupied by Italy in 1915 and by Austria-Hungary in 1916–1918. On 29 December 1915, a Naval Battle was fought off Durazzo. On 2 October 1918, several allied ships bombarded Durazzo and attacked

4240-538: The brothers. It was not until 1291 when a joint force of Dragutin and the Serbian King Stefan Milutin managed to defeat the brothers and, for the first time ever, the region came under the rule of a Serb, as it was annexed by Dragutin. Responding to Dragutin's annexation of Braničevo the Bulgarian prince named Shishman that came to rule the semi-independent principality of Vidin around 1280, began to attack

4346-690: The capital of the Principality of Albania for a short period of time. Subsequently, it was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in the interwar period and was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. Durrës experienced a strong expansion in its demography and economic activity under the People's Socialist Republic of Albania . The transport connections, concentration of economic institutions and industrial tradition underlie Durrës' leading economic position in Albania. It

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4452-665: The central government in Constantinople. France, England, the Netherlands, and Austria established their consulates in Durrës in 1700. As Ottoman relations with Venice improved upon the conclusion of the Ottoman-Venetian Wars , Durrës became a focal point of trade with the Republic of Venice, especially in grains and olive oil, as reported by the Venetian consul in the city in 1769. Mercantile relations with Venice were halted when

4558-414: The city and led east across the fields, lowlands and highlands of the Balkan Peninsula to Constantinople . In the Middle Ages , Durrës was contested between Bulgarians , Venetians , local Albanian noble families and Ottoman dominion. The Ottomans ultimately prevailed, ruling the city for more than 400 years from 1501 until 1912. Following the Albanian Declaration of Independence , the city served as

4664-447: The city and the rebuilding that followed gave the city its more modern appearance. During the 1930s, the Bank of Athens had a branch in the city. Durrës (called Durazzo again in Italian) and the rest of Albania were occupied in April 1939 and annexed to the Kingdom of Italy until 1943, then occupied by Nazi Germany until autumn 1944 . Durrës's strategic value as a seaport made it a high-profile military target for both sides. It

4770-411: The city is known as Durus . During the 411-year Ottoman period , Durrës was known in Ottoman Turkish as Dırac (دراج); with final consonant devoicing , the name has evolved into modern Turkish as Dıraç . In Venetian it called Durazo , while in the South Slavic languages the city is known as Drač (Cyrillic Драч). In English usage, the Italian form Durazzo used to be widespread, but

4876-458: The city is pronounced with the much later evolution of /u/ as /i/. The modern Italian name evolved in the sub-dialects that emerged from Colloquial Latin in northern Italy. The modern Albanian name evolved independently from the parent language of Albanian around the same period of the post-Roman era in the first centuries AD as the difference in stress in the two toponyms (first syllable in Albanian, second in Italian) highlights. In Aromanian ,

4982-405: The city of Durrës thank to its significant location and connect the northern part of the country to the south and the west with the east. Durrës is the starting point of Pan-European Corridor VIII , national roads SH2 and SH4, and serves as the main railway station of the Albanian Railways (HSH). The Pan-European Corridor VIII is one of the Pan-European corridors . It runs between Durrës, at

5088-426: The city passed to Roman rule, under which it was developed as a major military and naval base. The Romans preferred to use the name Dyrrachium (Greek: Δυρράχιον / Dyrrhachion ) for the city. They considered the name Epidamnos to be inauspicious because of its wholly coincidental similarities with the Latin word damnum , meaning "loss" or "harm". The meaning of Dyrrachium ("bad spine" or "difficult ridge" in Greek)

5194-470: The city returned to Byzantine rule. In the 11th–12th centuries, the city was important as a military stronghold and a metropolitan see rather than as a major economic center, and never recovered its late antique prosperity; Anna Komnene makes clear that medieval Dyrrhachium occupied only a portion of the ancient city. In the 1070s, two of its governors, Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder and Nikephoros Basilakes , led unsuccessful rebellions trying to seize

5300-614: The city was known as Epidamnos ( Ἐπίδαμνος ) and Dyrrhachion ( Δυρράχιον ) in classical Greek and then Epidamnus and Dyrrachium in classical Latin . Epidamnos is the older known of the two toponyms; it is widely considered to be of Illyrian origin, as first proposed by linguist Hans Krahe , and is attested in Thucydides (5th century BC), Aristotle (4th century BC), and Polybius (2nd century BC). Etymologically, Epidamnos may be related to Proto-Albanian *dami (cub, young animal, young bull) > dem (modern Albanian) as proposed by linguist Eqrem Çabej . Although

5406-544: The city was occupied by the Kingdom of Serbia three days later during the First Balkan War . On 29 November 1912 Durrës became the county town of the Durrës County one of the counties of the Kingdom of Serbia established on the part of the territory of Albania occupied from Ottoman Empire . The Durrës County had four districts: Durrës, Lezha , Elbasan and Tirana . The army of the Kingdom of Serbia retreated from Durrës in April 1913. The city became Albania 's second national capital (after Vlora ) on 7 March 1914 under

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5512-410: The city was transferred to the rule of the Republic of Venice , which formed the " Duchy of Durazzo ". This Duchy was conquered in 1213 and the city taken by the Despotate of Epirus under Michael I Komnenos Doukas . In 1257, Durrës was briefly occupied by the King of Sicily, Manfred of Hohenstaufen . It was re-occupied by the Despot of Epirus Michael II Komnenos Doukas until 1259, when the Despotate

5618-413: The city. Epidamnus came under the control of the Illyrian Ardiaei under Agron , who fortified the city ( c.  250 –231 BC). When the Romans defeated the Illyrians, they replaced the rule of queen Teuta with that of Demetrius of Pharos , one of her generals. He lost his kingdom, including Epidamnus, to the Romans in 219 BC at the Second Illyrian War . In the Third Illyrian War Epidamnus

5724-412: The city. The Republic of Venice regained control in 1392 and retained the city, known as Durazzo in those years, as part of the Albania Veneta . It fended off a siege by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1466 but fell to Ottoman forces in 1501. Under Ottoman rule, many of its inhabitants converted to Islam and many mosques were erected. The city was renamed Dırac (دراج) but did not prosper in

5830-399: The control of Pyrrhus of Epirus at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. From about 280 BC the Illyrian king Monunius , and his successor Mytilos minted in Dyrrhachion silver and bronze coins respectively, bearing the king's name and the symbol of the city. The fact that their coins were struck in the city mint of Dyrrhachion stresses that they exercised to some extent their authority over

5936-426: The country's temporary capital between 1918 and March 1920. It experienced an economic boom due to Italian investments and developed into a major seaport under the rule of King Zog , with a modern harbour being constructed in 1927. It was at this time the Royal Villa of Durrës was built by Zog as a summer palace, that still dominates the skyline from a hill close to the old city. An earthquake in 1926 damaged some of

6042-462: The daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and Irene of Montferrat , he had no children. At the end of Milutin's life Serbia was second in strength in Southeast Europe after Hungary. During his reign many court ceremonials were taken over from the Byzantine court and Byzantine culture overflowed into Serbia. After his death a short civil war followed, after which the Serbian throne was ascended by his eldest son, Stefan Dečanski . Around 1460,

6148-490: The defense of his lands against the Turks. After numerous attempts in subduing the Turks, the rapidly crumbling Byzantine Empire was forced to enlist the help of Serbia. The Turks were looting and pillaging the countryside and the two armies converged at the Gallipoli peninsula where the Turks were decisively defeated. Out of gratitude to Serbia, the town of Kucovo was donated. Upon Stefan Dragutin 's death in 1316, Milutin conquered most of his lands including Belgrade . That

6254-501: The difficulties of the rocky coastline, while also reporting that other Roman authors linked it to the name of an eponymous hero Dyrrachius . The mythological construction of the city's name was recorded by Appian (2nd century AD) who wrote that "the king of the barbarians of this country, Epidamnus gave the name to the city. His daughter's son Dyrrachius, built a port near the town that he called Dyrrachium". Stephanus of Byzantium repeated this mythological construction in his work. It

6360-438: The direction in political pretensions through penetrating the south in Macedonia and conflict with Hungary in Podunavlje . The land was politically and militarily prepared for serious politics and definitive fortification of Serbia and the Serb people in the Vardar valley and the middle Podunavlje. Apart from this, Uroš also correctly determined the direction of Serbian trade politics, as he on several occasions in his fight against

6466-403: The end of his reign also approached Hungary, with whom he long had been in a bad relation, and married his eldest son and heir, Stefan Dragutin , to Catherine, the daughter of Hungarian king Stephen V . Pushed by his in-laws, with the help of the army he received from Hungary, Dragutin, unhappy with not getting more participation in the government, revolted and defeated his father and took over

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6572-629: The end of the 13th century Bulgarian feudal lords Darman and Kudelin were jointly ruling the region of Braničevo (in modern Serbia) as independent or semi-independent lords. They regularly attacked Stefan Dragutin's Syrmian Kingdom, in Mačva, an area previously under the sovereignty of Elizabeth of Hungary. The Hungarian queen had sent troops to claim Braničevo in 1282–1284, but her forces had been repelled and her vassal lands plundered in retaliation. Another campaign, this time organized by both Dragutin and Elizabeth, failed to conquer Darman and Kudelin's domains in 1285 and suffered another counter-raid by

6678-555: The fact that the name Epidamnos reminded the Romans of the Latin word damnum , which signified evil and bad luck; Pliny the Elder , who lived in the same period, repeated this explanation in his own works. However, the Romans may have adopted the new name because it was already in more frequent use by citizens of the city. The name Dyrrhachion is usually explained as a Greek compound from δυσ- 'bad' and ῥαχία 'rocky shore, flood, roaring waves', an explanation already hinted at in antiquity by Cassius Dio, who writes it referred to

6784-429: The few Austrian ships in the harbour. Although civilians started to flee the city at the start of the bombardment, many casualties were inflicted on the innocent and neutral population. The Old City being adjacent to the harbour was largely destroyed, including the Royal Palace of Durrës and other primary public buildings. It was captured by Italian troops on 16 October 1918. Restored to Albanian sovereignty, Durrës became

6890-525: The first two centuries of the Ottoman era; its importance declined greatly and it became a den of piracy . Following the establishment of Ottoman rule in 1501, the Durrës Jewish community experienced population growth. As a port, Durrës was of little importance to the Ottomans, who controlled the entire Albanian coast. The town's main significance rather lay in its strategic castle , which the Turks reinforced and improved upon, and its rich salt deposits. There were few permanent civilian settlements, and most of

6996-457: The founders Illyrian men (the Illyrian king Epidamnos and his grandson Dyrrachos), Greek men (the Corinthian Falio, descendant of Heracles), heroes ( Heracles who was given part of the lands) and gods ( Poseidon , as father of Dyrrachos). Several ancient people held the site: the presence of the Brygi appears to be confirmed by several ancient writers, the Illyrian Taulantii (their arrival has been estimated to have happened not later than

7102-414: The harbour and sailed at gunpoint to Italy. In one month alone, August 1991, over 20,000 people migrated to Italy in this fashion. Italy intervened militarily, putting the port area under its control, and the city became the center of the European Community 's " Operation Pelican ", a food-aid program. In 1997, Albania slid into anarchy following the collapse of a massive pyramid scheme which devastated

7208-426: The king apparently considered making his younger son, the future Stefan Milutin , his heir. Worried about the inheritance and his very life, Stefan Dragutin finally demanded the throne in 1276. When Stefan Uroš refused, Dragutin rebelled and received help from his Hungarian relatives. The allies defeated the Serbian king and Stefan Uroš was forced to abdicate and retire to an unidentified monastery in Hum where he died

7314-426: The latter city was occupied by Napoleonic forces in 1797, bringing an end to the maritime republic. The Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary , via the port of Trieste , then replaced Venice as Durrës' largest trading partner. According to contemporary statistician Friedrich Wilhelm von Reden , total exports from Durrës reached 672,000 Austrian thalers each year, while imports amounted to 455,000 thalers. By

7420-408: The local Albanian name Durrës has gradually replaced it in recent decades. The territory of Durrës was populated at least starting from the Eneolithic and then, from protohistoric times, it was inhabited by Illyrian peoples. Though surviving remains are minimal, Durrës is one of the oldest cities in Albania. In terms of mythology, the genealogy of the foundation of Dyrrhachium includes among

7526-438: The local magnate John Chryselios . Samuel made his son-in-law Ashot Taronites , a Byzantine captive who had married his daughter Miroslava , governor of Durrës. In circa 1005, however, Ashot and Miroslava, with the connivance of Chryselios, fled to Constantinople , where they notified Emperor Basil II of their intention to surrender the city to him. Soon a Byzantine squadron under Eustathios Daphnomeles arrived at Durrës, and

7632-486: The mayor and members of the municipal council serve four-year terms without term limits. Durrës is an important link to Western Europe due to its port and its proximity to the Italian port cities, notably Bari, to which daily ferries run. As well as the dockyard, it also possesses an important shipyard and manufacturing industries, notably producing leather, plastic and tobacco products. The southern coastal stretch of Golem

7738-468: The members of the Durrës Municipal Council being responsible for the administration of Durrës Municipality. The mayor of Durrës is elected by its people to act as the executive officer of the municipality. The Durrës Municipal Council is the legislative body of the municipality and is also a democratically elected institution, comprising 51 councillors since the latest municipal election. Both,

7844-422: The mid-19th century, its population was said to have been about 1,000 people living in some 200 households. In the late nineteenth century, Durrës contained 1,200 Orthodox Aromanians (130 families) who lived among the larger population of Muslim Albanians alongside a significant number of Catholic Albanians. The decrepitude of Durrës was noted by foreign observers in the early 20th century, echoing comments made by

7950-596: The mouth of Ishëm River at the Cape of Rodon in the north across the Bay of Lalzi to the Shkëmbi i Kavajës in the south. According to the Köppen climate classification , Durrës is classified under the periphery of the hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) zone with an average annual temperature of 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). Its climate is influenced by its proximity to the Adriatic Sea in

8056-510: The name Epidamnos/Epidamnus was more commonly used among Ancient Greek authors, the coinage of the city only used the abbreviations for the name Dyrrhachion/Dyrrhachium . Dyrrachium was chosen as the sole name of the city after the Roman Republic got control of the region after the Illyrian Wars in 229 BC. The Latin spelling of /y/ retained the form of Doric Greek Dyrrhachion, which

8162-461: The national economy. An Italian-led peacekeeping force was controversially deployed to Durrës and other Albanian cities to restore order, although there were widespread suggestions that the real purpose of " Operation Alba " was to prevent economic refugees continuing to use Albania's ports as a route to migrate to Italy. Following the start of the 21st century, Durrës has been revitalized as many streets were repaved, while parks and façades experienced

8268-482: The opening of the new terminal in July 2012. In 2012, The Globe and Mail ranked Durrës at no. 1 among 8 exciting new cruise ports to explore. It is one of the largest passenger port on the Adriatic Sea that handle more than 1.5 million passengers per year. The railway station of Durrës is connected to other cities in Albania, including the capital of Tirana , Vlorë , Elbasan and Shkodër . The Durrës–Tiranë railway

8374-436: The population, including the local kadı , opted to live further inland, such as in the newly established town of Kavajë , 14 km south of Durrës. The Ottoman chronicler Evliya Çelebi visited Durrës in 1670-71 and noted in his Seyahatname that there were around 150 houses as well as a mosque named after Sultan Bayezid II . The city's economy began to recover from the late 17th century onwards, boosted by profits from

8480-518: The rebels without much difficulty. In 1319, Charles I of Hungary regained control over Belgrade and the region of Mačva while Milutin held control in Braničevo. In the year 1314 Milutin's son Stefan Dečanski rebelled against his father, but was captured and sent to exile in Constantinople . For the rest of Milutin's reign his youngest son Stefan Constantine was considered as heir to the throne, but in

8586-503: The remains of the king were carried to Bulgaria from the Hilandar monastery and were stored in various churches and monasteries until being transferred to St Nedelya Church after it became a bishop's residence in the 18th century. With some interruptions, the remains have been preserved in the church ever since and the church acquired another name, Holy King („Свети Крал“, „Sveti Kral“), in the late 19th and early 20th century. Stefan Milutin

8692-483: The salt mines, which exported salt throughout the Balkan hinterland. According to diplomat and Turkologist François Pouqueville , about 100 Turkish and Greek merchants lived in the city in 1699, exporting 3,000 quintals (300 tons) of beeswax, 15,000 quintals (1,500 tons) of finished cloth, 15,000 pieces of fine leather, and 60-100 ships of wheat, barley, corn and millet to Venice every year despite an official prohibition from

8798-578: The spring of 1321 Stefan Dečanski returned to Serbia and was pardoned by his father. Serbia's economic power grew rapidly in the 14th century, and Milutin's power was based on new mines, mostly in Kosovo territory. During his regin, Novo Brdo was the richest silver mine in the Balkans, while another important mines were Trepča and Janjevo . He produced imitations of Venetian coins, which contained seven-eighths of silver compared to their coins. They were banned by

8904-550: The surrounding coast became a Byzantine province, the Theme of Dyrrhachium , probably in the first decade of the 9th century. Durrës became a Christian city quite early on; its bishopric was created around 58 and was raised to the status of an archbishopric in 449. It was also the seat of an Orthodox metropolitan bishop . The city remained in Byzantine hands until the late 10th century, when control passed to Samuel of Bulgaria , possibly through his marriage with Agatha , daughter of

9010-611: The throne. Uroš retired with his loyals to Hum , where, disappointed, dissatisfied and angry, he died soon thereafter. Under Stefan Uroš I, Serbia became a significant power in the Balkans, partly due to economic development through opening of mines. The mines were developed by the " Sasi " (Saxons), who were experienced in the extracting of ore. Their settlements, located by the mines, had privileged status—they lived under their own laws and were allowed to adhere to Catholicism and build their churches. Important mines were located at Novo Brdo , Brskovo and Rudnik . Economic prosperity

9116-424: The time of the foundation of Durrës, two distinct settlements existed on its territory. The first one is a hill site with no direct contact with the sea. It predates the colony and might represent the settlement which held the toponym known as Epidamnos in ancient literature. The hill site overlooks to its south the second site which is the territory of the port of Durrës, where the colony was founded. Its location on

9222-521: The two kingdoms, and Stefan Uroš's son Stefan Dragutin of Serbia was married to Catherine , the daughter of the future king Stephen V of Hungary . By the end of his reign, Stefan Uroš apparently succeeded in suppressing the autonomy of Hum, where the local princes became virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the nobility. In his effort to achieve centralization, the king appears to have alienated his eldest son by refusing to grant him an appanage . The conflict between father and son exacerbated, and

9328-467: The war, establishing a variety of heavy industries in the area and expanding the port. It became the terminus of Albania's first railway , begun in 1947 ( Durrës–Tiranë railway ). In the late 1980s, the city was briefly renamed Durrës-Enver Hoxha. The city was and continues to remain the center of Albanian mass beach tourism. Following the collapse of communist rule in 1990, Durrës became the focus of mass emigrations from Albania with ships being hijacked in

9434-507: The way to Kavala . In 1284, Milutin also gained control of northern Albania and the city of Dyrrachion ( Durrës ). For the next 15 years there were no changes in the war. Peace was concluded in 1299 when Milutin kept the conquered lands as the dowry of Simonis , daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos who became his fourth wife. In Nerodimlje župa Milutin had three courts, in Nerodimlje (protected by Petrič ), Svrčin and Pauni. At

9540-537: Was "inhabited by Latins, Greeks, perfidious Jews and barbaric Albanians". When the Serbian Tsar Dušan died in 1355, the city passed into the hands of the Albanian family of Thopias . In 1376 the Navarrese Company Louis of Évreux, Duke of Durazzo , who had gained the rights on the Kingdom of Albania from his second wife, attacked and conquered the city, but in 1383 Karl Topia regained control of

9646-669: Was a 38-kilometre (24-mile) railway line which joined the two biggest cities in Albania : Durrës and Tiranë . The line connects to the Shkodër–Vorë railway halfway in Vorë , and to the Durrës–Vlorë railway in Durrës. In 2015, some rail stations and rolling stock along the Durrës-Tiranë line are being upgraded and latter colored red and white. A rail connection between Durrës and Pristina in Kosovo

9752-608: Was also fostered by the related intensification of trade with the Dalmatian cities of Dubrovnik and Kotor . The increase in the mining of silver and in trade naturally led to the introduction of larger quantities of royal coinage, modeled after the Venetian standard. In 1252–1253, Uroš I was at war with the Republic of Ragusa , which bordered the Hum , which was held by his kinsman Radoslav Andrijić . Radoslav swore to fight Ragusa as long as it

9858-461: Was attacked by Gentius but he was defeated by the Romans at the same year. For Catullus , the city was Durrachium Hadriae tabernam , "the taberna of the Adriatic", one of the stopping places for a Roman traveling up the Adriatic , as Catullus had done himself in the sailing season of 56. After the Illyrian Wars with the Roman Republic in 229 BC ended in a decisive defeat for the Illyrians,

9964-514: Was briefly occupied by King Milutin of Serbia in 1296. In the thirteenth century, a Jewish community existed in Durrës and was employed in the salt trade . In the early 14th century, the city was ruled by a coalition of Anjous, Hungarians, and Albanians of the Thopia family. In 1317 or 1318, the area was taken by the Serbs and remained under their rule until the 1350s. At that time the Popes, supported by

10070-464: Was defeated by the Byzantine Empire of Nicaea in the Battle of Pelagonia . In the 1270s, Durrës was again controlled by Epirus under Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas , the son of Michael II, who in 1278 was forced to yield the city to Charles d' Anjou ( Charles I of Sicily ). In c.  1273 , it was wrecked by a devastating earthquake (according to George Pachymeres ) but soon recovered. It

10176-501: Was expected to contribute annually to the Serbian crown. The arrangement remained largely unbroken for the next century. In 1268 the Serbian king invaded the Hungarian possessions south of the Danube in Mačva , what is now western central Serbia. In spite of some initial success, Stefan Uroš was captured by the Hungarians and forced to purchase his release. A peace treaty was signed between

10282-404: Was in conflict with Serbia, at the same time boasting relations with Béla IV of Hungary . Ragusa took up an alliance with Bulgaria. Peace was ensured in a charter dated May 22, 1254, and the crisis ended. During the second half of the 1260s a new war broke out with Ragusa, which was secretly favoured by the Serbian queen. A treaty was signed in 1268, specifying the amount of tribute that Dubrovnik

10388-504: Was married five times. By his first wife, Jelena, a Serbian noblewoman, he had: By his second wife, Helena , daughter of sebastokratōr John I Doukas of Thessaly , he possibly had: By his third wife, Elizabeth , daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary and Elizabeth the Cuman , he had: By his fourth wife, Anna , the daughter of George Terter I of Bulgaria and Maria of Bulgaria, he probably had no children. By his fifth wife Simonis ,

10494-526: Was not acceptable for king Charles I of Hungary , who started to seek allies against Serbia, including those among Albanian nobles, who were also receiving support from Pope John XXII . Milutin started to persecute Catholics which led to the crusade started by Pope John XXII. In 1318, there was an open revolt of Albanian nobles against the rule of Stefan Milutin, which is sometimes credited to be incited by Prince Philip I of Taranto and Pope John XXII in order to weaken Stefan Milutin's rule. Milutin suppressed

10600-520: Was pronounced as /Durrakhion/. This change of the name is already attested in classical literature. Titus Livius, at the end of the first century BC, writes in Ab Urbe Condita Libri that at the time of the Illyrian Wars (roughly 200 years earlier) the city was not known as Dyrrachium, but as Epidamnus. Pomponius Mela , about 70 years later than Titus Livius, attributed the change of the name to

10706-417: Was recorded on 14 August 1957. The lowest temperature of −6.2 °C (20.8 °F) was registered on 26 January 1954. Durrës receives most of the precipitation in winter months and less in summer months. The mean annual precipitation ranges between 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) and 1,273 millimetres (50.1 inches). Durrës is a municipality governed by a mayor–council system with the mayor of Durrës and

10812-625: Was the case with his brothers, he immediately ruled energetic and determined. Prior to his accession, the land had been looted by the Tatars and there were widespread internal conflicts; Uroš managed in a short time to resolve all important issues in the state and in its foreign policy. The situation in Europe and in the Balkans were quite favourable for Serbia, which he very cleverly used for his benefit. During his reign Serbia significantly strengthened itself and progressed in every way. Uroš correctly determined

10918-567: Was the first to begin exploiting the mines, which would later become one of the main sources of material wealth and power of the Serbian state in the Middle Ages. As a first result of the opening of mines came the forging of Serbian coins, which he first minted on the Venetian model. He protected and assisted literature and writers; i.e. gave impetus to the preparation of a new, more comprehensive and ornate biography of his grandfather Nemanja, whom he fully modeled himself after. Married to Helen of

11024-413: Was the site of the initial Italian landings on 7 April 1939 (and was fiercely defended by Mujo Ulqinaku ) as well as the launch point for the ill-fated Italian invasion of Greece . The city was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during the war and the port installations were blown up by retreating German soldiers in autumn 1944. The Communist regime of Enver Hoxha rapidly rebuilt the city following

11130-531: Was the youngest son of Stefan the First-Crowned and Anna , the granddaughter of Enrico Dandolo , Doge of Venice . He had two older half-brothers, on his father's side, kings Stefan Radoslav and Stefan Vladislav . Scholars have argued that Bulgarian influence had been strong and unpopular, causing opposition that led to Vladislav's deposition after the death of Asen. The revolting nobility had chosen Uroš as their candidate for king; from 1242 to spring 1243,

11236-465: Was to be heir to the throne in Serbia and not Dragutin's son Stefan Vladislav II . In order to gain an edge in his feud with Dragutin, Milutin sought support from the Papal States , even offering to convert himself and Serbs collectivly to Catholicism. He captured Durrës in 1296. The Battle of Gallipoli (1312) was fought by Serbian troops sent by Stefan Milutin to aid Byzantine Emperor Andronikos in

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