Phoenice (Finiq) — ancient city

The remains of the ancient city of Phoenice rise on a hill above the valley of the Drino river and rank among the most important archaeological sites in southern Albania. Once the capital of Epirus, in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, it was the political and commercial center of the region; the ancient historian Polybius counted it among the most powerful and wealthy cities of Epirus. Among the ruins today one can recognize the remains of the city walls, a Hellenistic theater carved into the hillside, the foundations of temples and early Christian basilicas with mosaics. Quieter and less visited than the nearby Butrint, the site offers a relaxed tour of an ancient city, with sweeping views over the green valley and surrounding hills.