Durres, Albania

Durres (Albanian Durrës [dur: ə's], Italian Durazzo [dura'c: o]), a city and the largest Albanian port on the Adriatic coast, is the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name; 113,249 pp. (2011). Cultural (theaters; archeological and historical museum), commercial and industrial center: metal, electrical, chemical, wood, tobacco, food (fish processing, winery) industry; leather and plastic processing; shipbuilding. University, founded in 2005. Developed tourism in the area (spacious sandy beaches). - Durres in 627 BC. Kr. founded by the Greeks from Corfu and Corinth under the name Epidamnos ('Επίδαμνος); in III. century BC Kr. changed its name to Dirahij (Δυρράχıον, Dyrrhákhion; Latin Dyrrachium). Internal struggles in the city between the merchant aristocracy and the commoners were one of the causes of the Peloponnesian War . From 229 BC Kr. Durres is under the Romans; from there Via Egnatia departed,a military route to Thessaloniki and the East, and the city became a major transit port. The earthquake of 314 was catastrophic for its development at that time (the earthquake of Durres damaged another 177, 518 and 1273). In 479, it was temporarily occupied by the Ostrogoths. Under Byzantium is Durres from VII. century was its main stronghold on the Adriatic Sea. Emperor Samuel captured it around 989, but it was returned by the Byzantines in 1018. Later, it was briefly (1080 / 81–85) ruled by the Normans. In XIII. and XIV. Durres was ruled by the Venetians, Epirus despots, Neapolitans, Serbs and neighboring local rulers. From 1392 to 1501 it was under Venetian rule, and from then until 1912 it was held by the Ottomans. In 1912–13. it was the capital of Albania, and during World War I a port for the supply of the Serbian army and its transport to Corfu and Africa.