Durres Mayor Emiriana Sako said Thursday that the medieval structure, one of only ten surviving Ottoman baths in Albania, has opened doors to both local and foreign visitors, following its complete restoration through EU-funded E4Culture programme.

The 18^th century site as closed for decades due to structural degradation and was further damaged in the 2019 earthquake

“With its unique architecture, the Hammam, another important cultural monument, has opened doors to the public, becoming another tourist and cultural attraction for everyone to visit in the city of Durres,” Mayor Sako said in a post on the social media.

For centuries, hammams have been an integral part of the urban landscape of many Albanian cities during the Ottoman rule.

The Durrës Hammam, adjacent to the Venetian Tower, is part of a group of monuments of archaeological and cultural importance along the landmark Via Egnatia, an ancient Roman road that stretched across an impressive distance between the Adriatic coast in Durres, Albania,  and Byzantium (modern day Istanbul) on the Bosphorous Strait.

Hamam in Durres is one of few surviving examples of 18th century public architecture. Its rehabilitation offers the opportunity for visitors to more fully engage in the story of historical lifestyles in Durres, as part of the ‘’linked heritage’’ approach.

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