The ancient finds in Borsi and its famous castle

A 16th-century painting (1st image) Depicts the siege of the sopot castle, near The present-day village of borsi (Municipality Of Himare).

In June 1570, the united Christian forces consisting of Spaniards, Venetians, Corfiots and Chimarrians besieged and captured the castle from the Ottomans with relative ease.

​14 Ιουλίου 1993: Οι 6 όροι του Κωνσταντίνου Μητσοτάκη προς την Αλβανική Κυβέρνηση

It was not the only battle that took place at this particular castle. It had great strategic importance because it is located near the sea and "blocks" the only ravine that leads to the plains and settlements behind the Himara mountains.

Ιστορικές πηγές για το κάστρο και τον οικισμό

It was first mentioned in historical sources during the period of the Despotate of Epirus (1204-1479) as one of its most important castles.

On the northwestern slope, tombs and other buildings from the Hellenistic Period were discovered. Aravantinos states that the castle is the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Hekatompedon. Two place names are noteworthy: Llutro and Mulliri, which are still mentioned by the Albanian-speaking residents.

Στα ίχνη της πολιορκίας

Searching for traces of the aforementioned siege, on an elevated plateau, between the sea and the castle, we came across buildings that fit that period. Many terraces built there near the centuries-old olive trees appear to have been built from stones removed from ruined buildings.

On the same plateau there is a building with large rocks that resembles an ancient Greek sanctuary. The construction dates back to the 3rd to 4th century BC.

Πως προέκυψε το μουσουλμανικό χωριό Μπόρσι

Today the village is inhabited by Albanian-speaking Muslims, except for a few Christian families who remained there as exiles of the communist regime. It is the only non-Orthodox village, out of the 7 you will encounter on the coastal route from Agioi Saranda to Himara.

In places rich in drinking water, the Turks settled Muslims. They transported Turks there or converted the local population to Islam. Something we observe in all three areas of the south of today's Albania with a Greek Orthodox population: Navaritsa in Vourko, Nepravista in Dropoli and Borsi in Himara.

Το Μπόρσι σήμερα και η μοίρα των μνημείων του

The long beach, the natural beauty and the prominence of the archaeological sites could turn it into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Municipality of Himare and in Albania in general. However, the incomplete planning, the anarchic construction and the abuses of the local and central authorities, turned it into an amorphous semi-urban center that will be very difficult to fix.

Μέχρι σήμερα, οι κρατικές αρχές ενδιαφέρθηκαν για την προστασία και ανάδειξη μόνο του κάστρου. Τα υπόλοιπα αρχαιότερα κτίσματα της Ελληνιστικής και Κλασικής περιόδου δεν είναι καταγεγραμμένα ούτε στη λίστα των μνημείων, δίνοντας σου την εντύπωση πως περιμένουν τον χρόνο να τα αφανίσει.

Leonidas Pappas