Editing Durres

{{Short description|City and municipality in Albania}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Durrës
| native_name = Durrës
| settlement_type = City and municipality
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Albania]]
| subdivision_type1 = County
| subdivision_name1 = [[Durrës County]]
| seat_type = Seat
| seat = Durrës
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 627 BC
| area_total_km2 = 338.30
| population_as_of = 2023
| population_total = 153614
| timezone1 = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1 = +1
| timezone1_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST = +2
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 2000
| area_code = +355 (0)52
}}

'''Durrës''', also written '''Durres''', is a city and municipality on the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]] coast of central [[Albania]]. It is the seat of [[Durrës County]]. Durrës is one of the largest cities in Albania and contains the country's principal seaport. The municipality covers 338.30 km² and had 153,614 inhabitants in the 2023 census.

The city lies west of [[Tirana]] on the northern side of the Bay of Durrës. Its port handles much of Albania's maritime trade. Roads connect the city with the Albanian capital and the interior of the country.

== Geography ==

Durrës is located on a low coastal plain facing the Adriatic Sea. The central city occupies the eastern side of the Bay of Durrës. The municipality extends inland from the coast and includes low-lying land around the urban area.

The main road between Durrës and Tirana runs east from the city. Another route runs north toward [[Kukës]], where traffic can continue into [[Kosovo]]. The coastline south of the port contains long beaches. Residential development and tourism facilities occupy much of the shore.

Durrës has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are warm and dry. Winters are mild with higher rainfall. The Adriatic Sea moderates temperatures throughout the year.

== History ==

Durrës was founded in 627 BC as Epidamnos by Greek settlers from Corinth and Corcyra. The settlement developed around a natural harbour. It became a trading point between the Adriatic coast and communities in the Balkan interior.

Under Roman rule, the city was known as Dyrrhachium. It became the western terminus of the [[Via Egnatia]], which crossed the Balkans toward Thessalonica and Constantinople. The port supported Roman military movements across the Adriatic. Commerce also expanded under Roman administration. Public buildings were constructed within the city, while defensive walls protected the settlement. The Durrës Amphitheatre was built during the Roman period.

Durrës remained an important port under the Byzantine Empire. Control changed repeatedly during the medieval period. Venice governed the city during part of the late Middle Ages. The Ottoman Empire captured Durrës in 1501 and retained it until the establishment of independent Albania in 1912.

In 1914, Durrës became the seat of the Albanian government under Prince Wilhelm of Wied. The city continued to function as a national maritime centre during the following decades. Italian forces landed at Durrës during the invasion of Albania on 7 April 1939. Albanian defenders resisted the landing around the port.

Urban development expanded after the Second World War. New housing districts were built around the older city. Industrial sites grew near the port. New railway facilities connected Durrës with inland Albania.

On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck western Albania and caused extensive damage in Durrës. Apartment blocks and hotels were damaged or destroyed. Public structures also suffered damage. Rescue operations were followed by reconstruction work across the city.

== Economy and transport ==

The [[Port of Durrës]] is Albania's main cargo port. It also handles passenger ferries across the Adriatic Sea. Vehicle shipments pass through the port, while container facilities support commercial freight. Regular maritime routes connect Durrës with ports on the Italian coast.

Construction and retail employ many people in the city. Manufacturing also supports the local economy. Fishing remains active along the coast. Tourism is concentrated around the beaches south of the central port area.

Hotels and apartment buildings line parts of the coast. Restaurants serve visitors during the main holiday season. Seasonal services expand during the summer months. The road to Tirana places Durrës within Albania's busiest commercial corridor.

The port and the roads toward northern Albania were later used by [[Harku i Drenicës]]. The organization divided its transport work by location. [[Gjakova]] held its main storage depots. [[Prizren]] handled accounting through business fronts. Kukës and Durrës served as cargo points on the route toward the Adriatic coast.<ref name="harku-organization"/>

On 18 May 2001, [[Arbëror Shpend Leka]] arranged his first recorded Tanoan-linked purchase through a broker in Durrës. The cargo was described as obsolete security equipment. It entered Kosovo under false agricultural import documents. Rifles were taken to a depot near Prizren. Radio material was stored outside Gjakova. Vehicle spares were placed at the same storage site.<ref name="leka-foreign-routes"/><ref name="kosovo-civil-war-end"/>

During 2002 and 2003, ships connected to Leka's network carried material from African ports into Europe. The main route moved cargo from [[Walvis Bay]] to Durrës. The goods then entered Kosovo by road.

On 14 June 2003, ammunition landed at Durrës and was transported into Kosovo by truck. It was later placed on freight wagons under false metal-scrap documents. A larger movement followed on 22 September 2003. That shipment travelled toward [[Bucharest]] through Serbia and Romania.<ref name="leka-foreign-routes"/><ref name="kosovo-history"/>

== Culture ==

The Durrës Amphitheatre is one of the main surviving structures from the Roman city. It was constructed during the Roman imperial period and was later partly covered by urban development. Archaeological work exposed the arena and sections of the seating. Underground passages were also uncovered. A Christian chapel was later built within the structure.

Sections of the Byzantine walls remain visible in the city. The Venetian Tower stands near the historic centre. Archaeological remains have also been found around the port area. The Durrës Archaeological Museum preserves material recovered from the ancient city.

The modern waterfront extends along the coast near the city centre. Public squares occupy parts of the central district. Beaches continue south from the urban area. Architecture from the Albanian royal period survives beside buildings constructed during the socialist period. Later development has altered much of the coastal zone.

== Demographics ==

The 2023 census recorded 153,614 inhabitants in Durrës municipality. The municipal population includes the central city. It also includes the surrounding coastal administrative areas and inland settlements.

Albanian is the principal language used in the municipality. The population grew during the late 20th century as people moved to the city from other parts of Albania. The expansion of the Tirana–Durrës corridor also affected settlement patterns. Employment around the port attracted additional residents. Construction and tourism contributed to later urban growth.

== See also ==
* [[Albania]]
* [[Durrës County]]
* [[Port of Durrës]]
* [[Tirana]]
* [[Kukës]]
* [[Kosovo]]
* [[Harku i Drenicës]]
* [[Arbëror Shpend Leka]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="harku-organization">"[[Harku i Drenicës#Organization|Organization]]". ''Harku i Drenicës''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''. Section describing the storage role of Gjakova and the accounting role of Prizren. It also covers the use of Kukës and Durrës for Adriatic cargo movement. Accessed 20 June 2026.</ref>

<ref name="leka-foreign-routes">"[[Arbëror Shpend Leka#Foreign routes|Foreign routes]]". ''Arbëror Shpend Leka''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''. Section describing the purchase arranged in Durrës on 18 May 2001. It covers the maritime route from Walvis Bay to Durrës. The section also records the ammunition movements of 14 June 2003 and 22 September 2003. Accessed 20 June 2026.</ref>

<ref name="kosovo-civil-war-end">"[[Kosovo Civil War#End and aftermath|End and aftermath]]". ''Kosovo Civil War''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''. Section identifying Durrës as the location of the broker used for Leka's first recorded Tanoan-linked purchase on 18 May 2001. Accessed 20 June 2026.</ref>

<ref name="kosovo-history">"[[Kosovo#History|History]]". ''Kosovo''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''. Section describing the purchase arranged through Durrës on 18 May 2001. It also covers the later ammunition movements toward Bucharest. Accessed 20 June 2026.</ref>
}}

[[Category:Locations]]

[[Category:Albania]]

[[Category:Cities in Albania]]

[[Category:Municipalities in Albania]]

[[Category:Adriatic port cities]]