Antigonia (Chaonia)
Encyclopedia
Antigonea also transliterated as Antigonia and Antigoneia, was an ancient Greek
city in Epirus
and the chief inland city of the ancient Chaonians
. It was founded in the 3rd century BC by Pyrrhus of Epirus
, who named it after one of his wives, Antigone
, daughter of Berenice.
Its ruins are located just south of the village of Saraqinisht
in the Antigonë
municipality, Gjirokastër District
, Albania
. Now that area has been declared a National Archaeological Park by the Albanian Government. The ruins are accessible from Gjirokastër
by car or by nature trail.
The Archeological Park is known for having organized since 2007 a yearly Festival of the Pagan Rites and the Popular Games . Recently, the village has hosted an annual culinary exhibition showcasing the best of local organic production and traditional specialties.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
city in Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
and the chief inland city of the ancient Chaonians
Chaonians
The Chaonians were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus located in the north-west of modern Greece and southern Albania. On their southern frontier lay another Epirote kingdom, that of the Molossians, to their southwest stood the kingdom of the Thesprotians, and to their...
. It was founded in the 3rd century BC by Pyrrhus of Epirus
Pyrrhus of Epirus
Pyrrhus or Pyrrhos was a Greek general and statesman of the Hellenistic era. He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house , and later he became king of Epirus and Macedon . He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome...
, who named it after one of his wives, Antigone
Antigone of Epirus
Antigone was a Greek Macedonian noblewoman. Through her mother’s second marriage was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and through marriage was a Queen of Epirus....
, daughter of Berenice.
Its ruins are located just south of the village of Saraqinisht
Saraqinisht
Saraqinisht is a small town of Antigonë municipality in the district of Gjirokastër, southern Albania. Near the village are the remains of the ancient city of Antigonea, which was founded by Pyrrhus of Epirus, and named after his wife, Antigone....
in the Antigonë
Antigonë
Antigonë is a municipality in the Gjirokastër District, Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality is famous for the old city of Antigonia . The municipality consists of the villages Asim Zeneli, Arshi Lengo, Krinë, Tranoshisht and Saraqinisht....
municipality, Gjirokastër District
Gjirokastër District
The District of Gjirokastër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. It has a population of 56,720 containing a large Greek minority, and an area of 1,137 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Gjirokastër...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. Now that area has been declared a National Archaeological Park by the Albanian Government. The ruins are accessible from Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
by car or by nature trail.
The Archeological Park is known for having organized since 2007 a yearly Festival of the Pagan Rites and the Popular Games . Recently, the village has hosted an annual culinary exhibition showcasing the best of local organic production and traditional specialties.