Rotunda and Byzantine Forum

The Rotunda and Byzantine Forum in Durrës constitute one of the most important archaeological sites of the late Roman and Byzantine periods in the coastal city, testifying to the public, commercial and institutional life of Dyrrachium, the ancient name of Durrës, during the 5th–6th centuries AD.

The Byzantine Forum, built in the late 6th century under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasios I, was the central square of the ancient city that served as a meeting, trading, and political decision-making place for the city's inhabitants. It was built in the traditional center of ancient Dyrrachium, in the area where the historic center of modern Durrës is today.

The architecture of the forum includes a part of a circular square with paved slabs, with a diameter of about 40 meters, which were once surrounded by a Corinthian colonnade. In the center of the square there are a podium and a water well, key elements of the public spaces of the time. Around this circle were also service areas and structures related to the urban and commercial functions of the city.

Within the forum stands the Rotunda, a circular structure built as an integral part of the square, and which may have housed a monumental statue or other ceremonial functions in the center of the public space. The Rotunda is one of the elements that distinguishes this forum from other ancient marketplaces and demonstrates the geometry and interweaving of public spaces that characterized the great ancient civilizations.

The Byzantine Forum and the Rotunda are today the most visible archaeological remains of the ancient city, despite being formed in a modern urban environment and located among contemporary buildings. However, they offer a clear view of the way Dyrrachium was socially and economically organized, bringing to light the fusion of public, commercial, and institutional functions in an ancient urban center.

Today, the Rotunda and Byzantine Forum area is a free archaeological attraction, located near other historical sites of Durrës such as the Roman Amphitheater, the Archaeological Museum and the Fortress with the Venetian Tower, and is one of the main stops for visitors exploring the city's historical heritage.