Hadrianopolis Archeological site

HADRIANOPOLIS

It is located in the Drino valley in the district of Gjirokastra near the village of Sofratike. There was a city of the Roman period called Adrianople, 2nd century A.D. The theater was discovered in 1984. It has a capacity of 4,000 seats with 27 Dimal stairs.

The first archeological expedition began in 1963 and since that year a 30 meter long stoa has come to light.

The monument shows a great resemblance to the stoa of Apollonia indicating the strong connections between the two cities. Inscriptions bearing the name DIMALITAN were found on many tiles, clearly indicating that the workshops were the property of the town.

The ancient writer Polybius states that the second Illyrian-Roman war took place during the years 219-218 BC, at which time Dimali was fortified. The Roman historian Titus Livy mentions Dimali again in the events of 205 BC, a time when the city was ruled by the Romans. Many inscriptions found during the excavations shed light on the political organization of the ancient city.