List of World Heritage Sites in Albania Facts for Kids

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) helps protect special places around the world. These places are called World Heritage Sites. They are important for their history, culture, or natural beauty. UNESCO started this program in 1972.

Cultural sites include old buildings, sculptures, and archaeological areas. Natural sites are amazing places like unique rock formations, special habitats for rare animals and plants, or areas with incredible natural beauty. Albania agreed to protect these sites on July 10, 1989. This made its historical and natural places eligible for the list.

As of 2021^[update], Albania has four sites on the World Heritage List. It also has four more sites that might be added later. The first Albanian site to join the list was the ancient city of Butrint in 1992. The historic center of Gjirokastër was added in 2005. In 2008, the historic center of Berat joined it. Together, they became the Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër.

In 2017, the Gashi River and Rrajcë areas were listed. They are part of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. This special forest site is shared with 17 other countries. In 2019, the Ohrid region site was expanded. This site was already in North Macedonia since 1979. Now, the Albanian part of the lake shore is also included.

Amazing World Heritage Sites in Albania

UNESCO uses ten special rules, or "criteria," to choose World Heritage Sites. Each site must meet at least one of these rules. Rules one to six are for cultural sites. Rules seven to ten are for natural sites.

* Transnational site

World Heritage Sites
Site Name	Location (County)	Year Added	UNESCO data	What Makes It Special
Butrint	Vlorë	1992	570; iii (cultural)	Butrint (Latin: Buthrōtum) was a very old city. First, it was a Greek city, then a Roman one. Later, it was a center for a Christian leader called a bishop. Over time, different groups lived there, like the Byzantines and the Venetians. It was finally left empty in the late Middle Ages. You can still see amazing old buildings. These include a Greek theater, an old baptistery, a church from the 800s, and old forts.
Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër	Berat, Gjirokastër	2005	569; iii, iv (cultural)	Berat and Gjirokastër are special because they show typical Ottoman period architecture. Berat shows how different religions and cultures lived together for many years. It has a castle mostly built in the 1200s, but it's even older. Inside the castle, there are many old churches and mosques from the 1400s. Gjirokastër has unique two-story houses from the 1600s. It also has an old market, a mosque from the 1700s, and two churches from the same time. Gjirokastër was listed in 2005, and Berat was added in 2008.
Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe*	Kukës, Elbasan	2017	1133; ix (natural)	This site is shared by 18 European countries. It includes the Gashi River area in northeastern Albania. It also has the ancient beech forests of Rrajcë in central Albania. These forests show how they grew and spread after the last Ice Age. They are great examples of pure and mixed European beech forests in different environments. The site was first listed in 2007 and has been expanded three times. The Albanian forests were added in 2017.
Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region*	Korçë	2019	i, iii, iv, vii (mixed)	This site is an extension of a site already in North Macedonia since 1979. The area around Pogradec, by Lake Ohrid, was home to the Illyrians in the 400s BC. Later, Romans and Slavs lived there. Parts of the old Roman road, Via Egnatia, show it was an important travel route. The ruins of the old Christian church of Lin with its floor mosaics show that Christianity was present. The historic center of Pogradec shows how Albanian houses looked in the 1800s and 1900s.

Sites That Might Be Added (Tentative List)

Countries can also suggest sites they think should be added to the World Heritage List. This is called a "tentative list." A site must be on this list before it can be officially nominated. As of 2021^[update], Albania has four sites on its tentative list.

Tentative sites
Site Name	Location (County)	Year Listed	UNESCO Type	What Makes It Special
Amphitheatre of Durrës	Durrës	1996	v (cultural)	The Roman amphitheater in Durrës was the biggest in the Balkans. It was shaped like an oval, about 136 metres (446 ft) long and 20 metres (66 ft) high. It could hold up to 20,000 people! After the 300s AD, it was no longer used and slowly fell apart. People started digging it up and studying it in 1966.
Royal Tombs of Selca e Poshtme	Korçë	1996	iii (cultural)	These Illyrian tombs are close to the town of Pogradec, near the village of Selcë e Poshtme. Most of these tombs were carved into the rock in the 200s BC. They were first built for Illyrian kings. Some of the tombs were used again later by other people.
The Ancient City of Apollonia	Fier	2014	ii, iii, x (mixed)	The city of Apollonia was probably started in the 500s BC. Greek settlers from Corfu and Corinth founded it. The city grew very important in the 300s BC. It was a major trading and economic center in the Adriatic area. During Roman times, it was a main entry point to the Via Egnatia road. Even with new people, the city kept its strong Greek culture. It also stayed connected to the Illyrian people nearby. The city was left empty during the Middle Ages.
The Castle of Bashtova	Tirana	2017	iv (cultural)	Old Ottoman records say the Venetians built this castle. They wanted to protect important trade routes. The Ottomans took over the castle in 1478 and made changes to it. The castle was shaped like a rectangle, about 60 metres (200 ft) by 90 metres (300 ft). It had three entrances. Today, two round towers and one rectangular tower are still standing.

List of World Heritage Sites in Albania facts for kids

Amazing World Heritage Sites in Albania

Sites That Might Be Added (Tentative List)

See also