Orik, the 2500 years old ancient city to be ready for tourists

 Ruins of the ancient city of Orik in Vlora

 Archaeological excavations are nearing completion in the ancient city of Orik, and the newly excavated area is expected to be soon exposed to tourists. A perimeter wall was recently discovered by an international expedition

"There are 3 phases of reconstruction of the city, from the Hellenic to the X century. Also to the military ruins that make the history of the site."

Ruins of the ancient city of Orik  

"This city has been enriched by the excavations that have been carried out and are finally turning this city into an important tourist attraction."

Ruins of the ancient city of Orik  

The objects discovered, from ceramics to coins, will be cleaned to be exhibited in the next phase of the project. Foreign students from the University of Geneva were also part of the expedition.

The ancient city of Orik

 According to archeological data, the city of Orik is founded at around the VI century BC, while in historical sources it is mentioned in the 5th century BC by Herodotus and Hecataeus of Miletus, as a port of Epirus. It is a city mentioned for its importance in the battles between Macedonia and Rome in the late third century b.c., as well as in the civil war between Caesar and Pompey in 48 BC in ancient sources Orik is mentioned for the last time in the II century e.s, while according to archeological data life continued until late antiquity.



From the surrounding wall of the city, a tract is preserved to its east with a width of 1.90 m and a length of 44 m, 15 m from which they still appear submerged under the water surface of the lagoon. The wall dates back to late antiquity. The traces of the town dwellings are almost all carved into the rock of the hill and have various dimensions from 7x9 m to 4x4 m. They are one or two alcoves and date back to around the 3rd century BC. From the entrances of the city mentioned in Caesar's memoirs, the one on the north side is preserved, which has two construction phases dating respectively to the Hellenistic period and late antiquity, measuring 14.50x11.20 m and a height of about 2 m. The fortification of the city also preserves the wall and the entrance to the acropolis. The wall of the acropolis has a length of 39.6 m, height 0.42-0.60 m, and a width of up to 3.25 m. The wall of the acropolis dates back to the 1st-century AC. From the monuments found in the archeological excavations is the monopter type building on the eastern terrace of the hill. This building dates back to around the III-II century BC and was destroyed in the middle of the 1st century BC, probably during the civil wars. The monument has dimensions of 6.40x6.40 m and was discovered in 2012. In the years 1958-60 was discovered an altar measuring 3x3.45 m with a square shape, which in its current state is dismantled. The central monument of Orik is its monumental fountain, which dates back to the Hellenistic period and was abandoned around the 1st century BC. Its architectural components are the semicircular staircase, which has a podium with a frame with denticles that reaches 1.57 m in height. It consists of two side rooms with a rectangular shape with dimensions 5x12.60 m south and 3.7x17.4 north. In its center during the excavations of 2013 was discovered a channel 7 m long, 2 m deep and 80 cm wide, on its rocky floor, leading to five steps worked in stone blocks. On the ridge of the hill above the fountain there is a staircase preserved in good condition, also worked in rock, with 0.40 m wide legs and 0.10-0.12 m height. south-west of the ancient city is the necropolis, which covers an area of ​​3999 m²..