The forest of Butrint has been of economic importance since the Middle Ages

The National Park of Butrint conveyed on Tuesday through an announcement the great importance of the forest that coexists with the ancient ruins and that is protected as a natural monument.

But its economic importance appears already in the Middle Ages. The institution that manages the National Park of Butrint has quoted the well-known Albanian historian Pëllumb Xhufi, who in his book "Lower Albania in the Late Middle Ages" wrote that during the Venetian rule it was decided that the timber extracted from the forests of Butrint would be used for the needs of the castle of Butrint as well as for the repair of large and small ships of the Venetian fleet.

"In fact, in 1611 it was noticed that the superior authorities of Corfu, the local residents, as well as those from the island of Paxos and Parga came there to cut wood without criteria. For this reason, that year it was decided that all those who would be caught cutting wood without a license (which had to clearly state the quantity and quality of the wood that could be used) would be sentenced to 5 years of gallery service and permanent ban on activity", historian Xhufi is quoted as saying.

Butrint National Park, which is located 18 kilometers south of Saranda, covers a total area of ​​9.424 hectares, an area made up of hills, lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, wide plains, marshes and islands. Within it, the existence of 1200 different species of animals and plants has been confirmed.

Like many other important archaeological centers in Albania, it was declared a Cultural Monument in 1948 with a First Regulatory Act for Cultural Monuments. In 1981, the wooded area around Butrint was also declared a cultural monument under the existing laws, for the protection of archaeological sites of environmental importance. At the international level, the importance of the ancient city was recognized and confirmed as such in 1992, when it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.