Byllis Archaeological Park (16)

Armoury - Byllis is a Historical Building (Architecture) in Hekal, Albania. For people who love geography or want to set their GPS, here are the geographical coordinates: 40.5413, 19.7374. Do you know when the Armoury - Byllis was built? Do you know the names of the people involved in the construction, or had an impact in the history of the Armoury - Byllis? Please share those information with us, we are eager to make the map of Hekal in Albania the ultimate source of information for travellers and curious people. If you have a picture of the Armoury - Byllis please do not hesitate to get in touch by email.

Basilica A constitutes a three aisled church, with a semicircular apse and a tripartite transept. The component parts of the basilica were arranged at various levels, with a gradual elevation from the portico (the sitting banks survived from the ancient stadium and adapted as a monumental entrance toward the interior of the basilica) towards the narthex and the nave. The maximum dimensions of this monumental ensemble are a length of ca. 38 meters and a width of ca. 23 meters. The state of preservation of this monument allows an accurate determination of its planimetric and volumetric elements. The separation of the aisles is accomplished by an arcade, supported by pillars and blocks linked with mortar, resting on a high stylobate. The spaces between the pillars are closed by parapets. In the base of the semicircular apse is backed the three-stepped synthronon. In front of the synthronon is preserved the base of the altar table and the reliquary pit having a cruciform shape. The sanctuary, nave and aisles, the northern part of the transept and the narthex are paved with colorful mosaics, decorated with rich geometric, floral, and zoomorphic patterns. The archaeological investigation of the monument has brought to light a rich collection of decorative sculpture - capitals, impost capitals, cornices, mullions, etc. - of fine local limestone material extracted from the quarry of Byllis. Only the altar table of the second phase of the building and the colonnettes are of marble. The basilica was built in the first half of fifth century AD and was destroyed during the Slavic invasions of the mid-sixth century AD (547-548).

House B is a peristyle house with a distinct arrangement which consists in the combination of peristyle with the portico. The center of the composition is marked by the courtyard, which was the main transit area for the rooms in the north and east side of the house. The southern and western part of the house is treated as a portico, probably served for economic activities of the owner. The main room, the andron (space reserved for men), is located in the east and with the later reconstruction work in the house, apparently maintained its function until the third century AD, when its walls were plastered and painted. The house was built in the third century BC for wealthy families of the city and was in use until the fourth century AD. In the fifth century AD over its ruins took place the construction of two modest domestic buildings of two rooms, and by the end of sixth century AD the place was transformed into a cemetery.

The structure stadium of Byllis represents a particular solution, with a single banked side with seats, supported on the declivity of the terrain. The structure was about 190 meters long, a standard feature for the stadium, accomplished through the prolongation of the field in front of the theatre. The spectators could attend the games and competitions while standing. An inscription recording the freeing of a slave can still be made out on the first seating row. The most typical peculiarity of the stadium of Byllis is the construction of an immense cistern beneath the northern wing of the track, which used the seating of the stadium and the rooftop of the grand portico as a convenient way of collecting water runoff. The cistern is known for its substantial vaults of calcareous blocks. The construction of the stadium and the cistern dates in the same period, ca. third century BC. A part of the seating banks of the stadium have been reused as steps up to the basilica A during the late antique period.

The prytaneion or the Office of the civic magistrates and centre of the administration of the koinon is located in the Agora area. The structure constitutes a mid third century BC construction and is identified with the ruins of a building, with two rooms fronted by a wooden colonnaded portico. The structure may have served as a 'Banketthaus' simultaneously as suggested by the channel in the vicinity of the south-eastern room, probably used for washing supplies for the meals. The second period of the building is related with the establishment of the Roman colony. The construction of a stone water tub, suggests also a probable changing of the function of the building into a workshop, around the first century AD. During the excavation of the monument was brought to light a Latin inscription of the time of August, providing evidence on the statue which was placed by decision of the decuriones and the supervision of the duumviri. Only the name of T. Petronius is preserved while the other is removed from the inscription as damnatio memoriae, as a condemnation of memory because of the political exclusion. Another inscription discovered dedicated to Artemis dates back to the second century BC, when the prytanis of the city was a certain Illyrian named Triteutas.

The building is interpreted as a Gymnasium and has a quadrangular plan and a number of rooms arranged around an inner courtyard. It was built in the second half of the third century BC with a typical antique construction technique and destroyed during the installation of a Roman colony and converted into public baths.

The bathhouse (also Bath of Justinian) constitutes a typical Late Antique construction, modest in size, simplified linear plan and roughly mortared walls. The excavation brought to light the different areas of the bath, clearly divided in: apodyterium (undressing room), tepidarium (warm bathroom), caldarium (room with a hot plunge bath), frigidarium (cold water room), sudatio (sweating room), praefurnium (furnace or central heating chamber). Coins found in the praefurnium were minted under Justinian I and the King of Ostrogoths Totila dates the destruction of the thermae (bath) in the period 547-551 A.D. A fragmentary inscription found reused may refer to the construction of the baths during the reign of Justinian I.

Basilica C is an average size monument, with a maximal dimension 33x22,80 meters. It is a three-aisled church, with a narthex, flanked to the North and South by two liturgical annexes and the portico. The central aisle is larger and ends up to the East with a semi-circular apse. The apse is equipped with a three-stepped synthronon, to accommodate the clergy during services. In front of the synthronon was the altar, which stood atop a reliquary deposit, and from which only the base is preserved. The separation between the aisles is accomplished by columns resting on high stylobates, surmounted by Ionic impost capitals richly decorated. The spaces between the columns are closed by parapets. The sanctuary and one of the annexes is paved with mosaics, showing geometric and floral patterns, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations. The most impressive scenes are the two panels showing a procession of six lambs each, going up to the altar, a symbolic personification of the Twelve Apostles, another panel represents members of the clergy holding candelabras entering the church. An inscription in the mosaic pavement records the construction of the mosaic pavement during the time of the otherwise unknown Bishop Praesios. A probable date for the construction of the basilica is considered the second quarter of the sixth century A.D.

The theatre of Byllis counts among the largest ancient theatres, following the theatre of Apollonia and Phoenike, able to accommodate a number of about 7500 spectators. The theatre of Byllis was first built in the mid third century BC and corresponds to the Illyrian - Epirote variant, characterized by straight retaining walls (analemata), frontal parodoi (entrances), monumental gates and the use of proskene as acting area. The theater of Byllis constitutes a distinctive and more elaborated typology among the theaters of the ancient world, with resemblances to the theaters of Dodona and Syracuse (Sicily). The large dimensions of the theater of Byllis evidenced the attendance of theatrical performances by a vast number of spectators. During the Roman period the theatre of Byllis was still in use but was subjected to substantial renovations. In Late Antiquity the stone blocks of the cavea were used for the construction of the Victorinus wall.

The inscription cut into the rock face and refers to the Roman citizen of Byllis, Marcus Lollianus, who served as a professional military officer to the Roman army. Further the inscription mentions that he built a road designated for wheeled traffic, from the colony of Bylliones through Astacia, through a way that was narrow, rough and dangerous, constructing also a bridge on the Argya River, by decree of the decuriones (councillors) and at his own expenses. The existence of the road or of the bridge mentioned in the inscription is not attested. The River Argias might be identified with the Povla creek or with the Gjanica River, while Astacia with Upper Mallakastra. The inscription is dated ca. 150AD.