DURRËS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
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Still suffering from the great looting of 1997. But fine collections of Aphrodite statuettes, ancient coins, etc.
Created in 1951, this museum (Muzeu Arkeologjik i Durrësit) was damaged and looted during the civil war of 1997. Since 2010, efforts to restore its prestige have begun to bear fruit, with new discoveries enriching the collections. The first floor houses the halls of the Greek and Roman periods. The second floor features objects from the Middle Ages. Particularly noteworthy are the countless terracotta votive figurines dating from the 4th to 2nd centuries B.C. They were discovered northwest of the city, on the Daüte hill, in the 1970s. Most are representations of Aphrodite. Although no temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of love has yet been unearthed, it seems that her cult was particularly developed here. Another highlight is the numismatic collection. The city began issuing its own coins in the 4th century BC, when it broke free from the yoke of Corinth. Until then called Epidamnos (Επίδαμνος), it changed its name to Dyrrhachion (Δυρράχιον). The abbreviation "ΔΥΡ" (DYR) then appeared on coins. This abbreviation lasted through the Roman period, the name of the city being simply Latinized as Dyrrachium and the Greek alphabet retained. Almost all also bear the town's symbol: a cow suckling a kneeling calf. The Roman period is also well represented: milestones from the via Egnatia, steles, fragments of a fresco from a private bath, etc.
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Un jardin permet de découvrir quelques blocs ornementaux assez intéressants pour qui s'y connait un peu.
Accueil très sympathique. Il y est cependant interdit d'y faire des photos (ce que j'ai respecté).