Butrint has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Under the successive rule of the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and Ottoman Turks, it thrived as a center of trade. The city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city's development.
Located in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, Gjirokastra is a well-preserved example of an Ottoman town originally built in the 13th century. It also contains a number of examples of kule, a type of Turkish tower house dating from the 17th century. The kule has a tall basement, a first floor for use in the cold season, and a second floor for the warm season.
Lynn Salmon <>{ Last updated: July 20, 2005