The polychrome pavement of the baptistery of Butrint, an exceptional 6th century AD pavement

Starting with an overview of the country, and challenging popular misconceptions, Oliver will discuss why this misunderstood country has so much of interest now that it has opened its doors.

We will visit Tirana, the World Heritage Site of Butrint, and the evocative medieval city of Gijrokastra and hear about travelling to Albania today.

Oliver is a widely respected archaeologist who has visited Albania many times to uncover its secrets. Oliver worked for over ten years as a field archaeologist in Italy, before moving across the Adriatic to Albania, where he worked at Butrint and Gijrokastra. He is still involved in a number of projects in Albania.

Butrint Albania's first Unesco World Heritage Site

The walls of Durres, from a painting by Edward Lear

Street corner at the Ottoman city of Gjirokastra

A sixteenth century icon the life giving source combining both Christian and Muslim iconography

Bunkers old and new in the Drinos Valley in southern Albania

The Moscow Conference - Enver Hoxha denounces the Soviet revisionists

The Italian Archaeological Mission in the theatre at Butrint in 1931

The painted cupola of the mosque of Ethem Bey in Tirana

The walls of the Medieval citadel of Berat