Byllis

Ruins in Vlorë

Byllis Theater Albania — Public Domain / Albinfo

Byllis Vjosa Albania — Public Domain / Albinfo

Ruins Byllis Albania — CC BY-SA 4.0 / ShkelzenRexha

Byllis Cathedral — Public Domain / Albinfo

Byllis Wall Of Victorinius — CC BY-SA 3.0 / malenki

Byllis was an ancient city located in the region of Illyria and is located north-east of Vlorë. The city had a dominating position on top of a hill looking over the Vjosa river.

Although originally founded by the Illyrian tribe, the Bylliones, in the fourth century BC it was a Greek speaking settlement. Byllis like most Illyrian cities was the capital of the local tribes. Its walls, whose foundations can be seen today, were built 100 years later. They cover a large area, in a triangular shape, and are about two kilometers in length. The construction of the wall were probably in reaction to their aggressive neighbor, Philip II of Macedonia.

After conquest by the Romans, Byllis became a Roman colony and then part of the province of Epirus Nova and is thought to have been a supply base for Julius Cesar’s legions. The city was mentioned in one of Cicero’s orations, in a fiery speech damning Marcus Brutus for occupying the city. While under Roman rule the city was sacked twice by foreign invaders, first by the Visigoths 4th century AD and then in 586 AD by slavs, which caused the inhabitants to move to nearby town of Ballsh.

The most impressive part of the ruins is the 4th century Cathedral. An atrium and galleries were added in the fifth century. An Episcopal complex was added to the cathedral under the rule of the Eastern Roman Emperor, Justinian, between 482 and 565. Other parts to look out for are the ‘Victorinus’s wall’, the remains of a three story tower and the agora.

The Byllis appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Vlorë!