The festival, organised by the Municipality of Selenicë, featured traditional polyphonic music, folk games, local cuisine and sporting activities at the more than 2,000-year-old archaeological park.

Selenicë Mayor Nertil Bellaj said on Monday the event had become an annual tradition, held on the last weekend of May to celebrate one of Albania’s most important archaeological sites.

“Amantia is a valuable historical and cultural asset that represents not only Selenicë but Albania as a whole because of its rich history and exceptional heritage,” Bellaj said.

He said continued promotion of the site could help boost cultural tourism as Amantia attracts growing numbers of foreign visitors.

Speaking at the event, State Minister for Parliamentary Relations Eriona Ismaili said cultural activities played an important role in promoting areas with historical and archaeological significance while helping preserve national traditions and identity.

She added that government policies supporting local communities, tourism businesses, guesthouses and agritourism ventures were helping attract more visitors and contribute to regional development.

Amantia, located in southwestern Albania, was one of the principal settlements of the ancient Illyrians and is regarded as one of the country’s most significant archaeological sites.

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The discoveries were made following excavation work at the Amantia Archaeological Park, located around 30 km southeast of the coastal city of Vlora.

Sharing details from the excavation campaign carried out by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Gonxhja said archaeologists had uncovered an ancient building in the agora area, along with new evidence related to the fortification system of the lower city.

The findings provide further insight into the urban organisation and historical development of Amantia, demonstrating continuity of settlement and urban life from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD, he said.

Gonxhja added that archaeological research at the site will continue in the coming years alongside restoration works aimed at preserving and promoting one of Albania’s most important cultural heritage sites.

Amantia was founded in the late 5th century BC on a hilltop in the Laberia region and was protected by fortified walls.

By the 3rd century BC, the city had emerged as an important economic centre and began minting its own coins. Historical remains still visible at the site include the Temple of Aphrodite, an ancient theatre and a stadium.

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The discoveries were made during 2025 excavations on the site’s eastern terrace, where archaeologists are investigating a fortified structure that continues to reveal previously unknown aspects of the ancient city.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, said on Tuesday the latest excavations, carried out by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Vlora, were shedding new light on the history of Amantia.

“The uncovered structures, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD, demonstrate the continuity of life and the importance Amantia held through the centuries,” Gonxhja said.

Among the most significant findings is the foundation of an ancient building believed to have served a pastoral or livestock-related function, according to preliminary assessments. Evidence of the site’s reuse in modern times also suggests the area remained connected to human activity over a long period.

Gonxhja said each newly uncovered structure and artefact represented “living testimony” to Albania’s cultural heritage and brought researchers closer to understanding the country’s past.

Amantia, founded at the end of the 5th century BC in the Labëria region of southern Albania, was built on a hilltop and protected by fortified walls. The city expanded economically during the 3rd century BC and began minting its own coins, including currency issued in 268 BC.

Remains of the ancient Temple of Aphrodite, as well as the city’s theatre and stadium, are still visible today.

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The discovery was made during recent excavations at the Amantia Archaeological Park, near the coastal city of Vlorë.

According to Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Blendi Gonxhja, the find sheds new light on the urban and public organization of the Illyrian settlement.

“This is an entirely new element for archaeologists,” Gonxhja wrote in a social media post, noting that the wall likely remained in use until the 6th century CE, when it was destroyed.

In addition to the wall, the archaeological team has conducted urgent restoration work on monumental tombs and other vulnerable structures within the park, aiming to protect them from environmental damage such as frost and rainfall.

The new findings and conservation efforts are part of a broader initiative to enhance the archaeological landscape of the Amantia site – once a key center of Illyrian civilization – and to preserve it for both scholarly research and public tourism.

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An ancient shrine has been built on top of a low hill called “Lëmi i Peçit”, located outside the fortification of the Illyrian city of Amantia, where the temple of Aphrodite once stood impressively.  A buttress-supported ancient wall has been built to protect the sacred shrine, as well as to create a solid base for the temple’s construction.

The temple is thought to have been built circa III century BC and the site was destroyed in IV AD and an early Christian Church was constructed on the site with the use of elements and construction materials of the temple.

The ruins of the temple and basilica of Amantia are the meaningful example of the process of abandoning the pagan religion and embracing the Christian religion in the Southern Illyria territory.

The Illyrian city of Amantia is nowadays one of the largest archaeological parks in the country and a testimony to the rich ancient history of the Ionian coast

Amantia was founded during the 5th century B.C. on its own acropolis, at 613 meters above sea level. The buildings and fortifications erected on quite difficult mountainous terrain are one of the most fascinating aspects of the ancient city. The main and most striking elements of the park are the ruins of the ancient stadium built from stone blocks around the 3rd century B.C. At 12,50 meters wide, with 17 rows, and a central stage shaped like a horse’s shoe, the stadium could accommodate approximately 4,000 spectators

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In her remarks, Minister Margariti emphasized that, “after two months of detailed work, the architectural structure of the ancient monument has been discovered.”

“It is a rare exemplar of the archway type, which preserves almost all architectural elements. Experts estimate that the large size, construction features and roofing elements give the monument unique value,” Minister Margariti said.

“From the preliminary results it is thought that the monument dates back to the 3rd century BC,” the minister Margariti added. //a.i/