Elbasan (/ˌɛlbəˈsɑːn/EL-bə-SAHN,^[2]Albanian:[ɛlbaˈsan];Albaniandefinite form:Elbasani,pronounced[ɛlbaˈsani]) is thefourth most populous city ofAlbania and seat ofElbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the riverShkumbin between theSkanderbeg Mountains and theMyzeqe Plain in central Albania.

Elbasan
Municipality
From top to bottom, left to right: View of Elbasan,Kisha e Shën Mërisë, Hafiz Patel Mosque, Clock tower of Elbasan andElbasan Castle
Flag Emblem
Elbasan
Coordinates:41°06′40″N20°04′50″E / 41.11111°N 20.08056°E /41.11111; 20.08056
Country	Albania
County	Elbasan
Government
• Mayor	Gledian Llatja (PS)
Area
• Municipality	845.1 km2 (326.3 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	17.4 km2 (6.7 sq mi)
Elevation	133 m (436 ft)
Population  (2023[1])
• Municipality	115,101
• Municipality density	140/km2 (350/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	66,834
• Municipal unit density	3,800/km2 (9,900/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Albanian:Elbasanas (m), Elbasanase (f) or Elbasanlli (m) Elbasanllie (f)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal Code	3001-3006
Area Code	(0)54
Website	elbasani.gov.al

The name (in the formElbasan also inAromanian)^[3] is derived from theOttoman Turkishil-basan ("the fortress").^[4]

In August 2010 archaeologists discovered twoIllyrian graves near the walls of the castle of Elbasan.^[5]

In the second century BC, aRoman trading post recorded inLatin asMansio Scampa (also inAncient Greek:Σκάμπα) near the site of modern Elbasan developed close to a junction of two branches of an important Roman road, theVia Egnatia, which connected theAdriatic coast withByzantium. It was one of the most important routes of theRoman Empire. By the third or fourth century AD, this place had grown into a real city protected by a substantial Roman fortress with towers; the fort covered around 300 square meters.^[6] This city appears on late antique itineraries like theTabula Peutingeriana andItinerarium Burdigalense asScampis orHiscampis.^[7]

It took part in the spread ofChristianity along the Via, and had a bishop, cathedral and basilicas as early as the fifth century. As a town in a wide river valley it was vulnerable to attacks once the legions were withdrawn butEmperor Justinian made an effort to improve the fortifications. The city survived attacks by theBulgars andOstrogoths and was mentioned in the work ofProcopius of Cæsarea. Ruins of a Paleochristian basilica, built in the 5th or 6th century AD, were found in Bezistan area.

The site seems to have been abandoned until theOttoman army built a military camp there, followed by urban reconstruction underSultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1466. Mehmet constructed a massive four-sided castle with a deep moat and three gates. The name Elbasan is thought to mean 'the flat fortress' in Albanian or ‘the flat province’ in Turkish.^[8] He had built the castle in order to fightSkanderbeg, due to anongoing conflict between the Ottomans and Albanians.^[9]

It became the seat ofSanjak of Elbasan, a centre of Ottoman urban civilisation over the next 445 years. AlthoughHalil Inalcik explains that the Sanjak of Elbasan was established as soon as thefortress of Elbasan was constructed in 1466, based onTursun Beg's records there is a possibility that Elbasan initially was part of theSanjak of Ohrid.^[10] In 1467 many Christians fromSkopje, Ohrid,Serres andKastoria were forcibly deported to Elbasan.^[11] In the late 17th century, the Ottoman travelerEvliya Çelebi passed through Elbasan and noted that "all the inhabitants speak Albanian" having knowledge of Turkish with Muslim clergy being literate in Persian, while merchants also used the Greek and "Frankish" languages.^[12]

By the end of the 17th century it had 2,000 inhabitants. The fortress was dismantled byReshit Pasha in 1832.In 1864, theSanjak of Elbasan became a part ofMonastir Vilayet. In the late nineteenth century, Elbasan was inhabited by 3,000 Muslim families and 280 Orthodox Christian families, of which 100 were old Orthodox Albanian families living in the old Christian neighbourhood within the fortress and 180Aromanian families residing in the St. Nicholas neighbourhood on the edge of town.^[13] At the beginning of the 20th century it was estimated that 15,000 people lived in Elbasan.^[14]

In 1909, after theYoung Turks revolution inIstanbul, anAlbanian National Congress was held in Elbasan to study educational and cultural questions. The delegates, all from central and southern Albania, endorsed the decision of theCongress of Monastir, which was held in Monastir (modernBitola,North Macedonia) to use the Latin alphabet rather than the Arabic script in writtenAlbanian. Albanians, Turks, Aromunians andSephardic Jews were living in Elbasan.

Before the Second World War, Elbasan was a city with a mixture of eastern and medieval buildings, narrow cobbled streets and a large bazaar. There was a clearly defined Muslim settlement within the castle walls, an Aromanian district on the outskirts of the city and several fine mosques and Islamic buildings. At the time the population was about 15,000 people.

The very first teachers' training college in Albania, theShkolla Normale e Elbasanit, was established in Elbasan. DuringFirst Balkan War, it was occupied bySerbian troops on 29 November 1912. They withdrew from Elbasan on 25 October 1913 due to United Kingdom and Austria Hungary's ultimatum. The Muslim majority of Elbasan opposed the installation ofPrince Wied in 1914. Elbasan was occupied successively bySerbs,Bulgarians,Austrians andItalians between 1915 and 1918. The Bulgarian army occupied Elbasan on January 29, 1916, duringBulgarian occupation of Albania^[15] In March 1916 the army of Austria-Hungary took over control of Elbasan^[16] From June 1916 to March 1917Stanislav Kostka Neumann fought with the Austrian army there and called his war memoirs about the occupation inElbasan.^[17] Industrial development began in theZogist period when tobacco andalcohol factories were established.

The city was also noted for its good public buildings, advanced educational provisions, public gardens and timber-built shops. There was much wartime damage, which was followed by an intensive programme of industrial development in theCommunist period that boosted the city to around 75,000 inhabitants. The culmination of this process was the construction of the hugeSteel of the Party (Albanian:Celiku i Partise)metallurgical complex outside the city, in theShkumbini valley, built with Chinese assistance in the 1970s. It was emphatically called "The Second National Liberation of Albanian" byEnver Hoxha. The cost of the complex in environmental impact was high for the Shkumbin valley.^[18]Elbasan Railway Station was opened in 1950. In 2014, the Albanian government reconstructed former Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium. The renovatedElbasan Arena became the home stadium of theAlbania national football team and Albania's de facto stadium meetingFIFA's criteria.

The city of Elbasan lies to the north of the riverShkumbin between theSkanderbeg Mountains and theMyzeqe Plain in central Albania. The municipality of Elbasan consists of the administrative units ofBradashesh,Funarë,Gjergjan,Gjinar,Gracen,Labinot-Fushë,Labinot-Mal,Papër,Shirgjan,Shushicë,Tregan,Zavalinë and Elbasan.^[19][20][21] It covers 872.03 km².^[19][22]

According to theKöppen climate classification, Elbasan has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) with an average annual temperature of 13.1 °C (55.6 °F).^[23]

Industrial development began during theZog regime with the production oftobacco andalcoholic beverages, and culminated during thecommunist regime. The city gained prominence after theChinese built asteel mill in 1974. One travel writer relayed from conversation that during the communist regime, "almost everyone in the country seemed to have a gun, likely manufactured by this Chinese-financed factory in Elbasan," and the "country did not seem to have tractors, ploughs, or sewing machines."^[27]

The city also hosts aferrochromesmelter, which was commissioned in 1989 by the communist regime and now is owned by theBalfin Group.

The city was a hub for heavy industry during the communist regime, mostly metallurgic and metal processing factories. All these industries caused bigpollution and Elbasan is considered today to be one of the most polluted cities of Albania.^[28]

In recent years Elbasan, like the rest of Albania, has had to deal not only with local pollution, but also with what environmentalists call "imported pollution", because of the waste imported from abroad for the recycling process in private companies.^[18]

The population of the municipality of Elbasan as of the 2023 census is 115,101, of which 66,834 is in the municipal unit.^[1]

Elbasan has been occupied by several different groups, including theSerbs,Bulgarians,Austrians andItalians. Elbasan remained a center ofChristianity in Albania even after theOttoman occupation. After the 1908Congress of Monastir (in modernBitola,North Macedonia) decided to use theLatin alphabet for the writtenAlbanian language,Muslim clerics influenced by theOttoman Empire held various demonstrations in favor of theArabic script in Elbasan.

In the center of the city, is located theSaint Mary Orthodox Church. The church was built in 1830 on the foundations of an older church, which had partially burned in 1819. Paintings and frescoes ofOnufri, restored byDavid Selenicasi andKostadin Shelcani can still be seen. The church has been an important religious and cultural center for the Albanian language.Teodor Haxhifilipi,Kostandin Kristoforidhi, andAleksandër Xhuvani have served in the church. They are the authors of translations into Albanian of many psalms. The church building served as the first Albanian school of Elbasan in modern times, which opened in 1909.^[30]

Other orthodox churches in theElbasan District include the Mameli church (built in the 17th century), the Saint Nicholas church (Albanian:Shen Kolli) inShelcan (built in 1554), the Saint Nicholas church inValesh (built in 1604), theSaints Cosmas and Damian church inSterstan (built in the 18th century), the Saint Michael (Albanian:Shen Mehilli) church inShalës (built in the 17th century), the Saint Mary church inDragot (built in the 18th century), the Saint Nicholas church of Elbasan (17th century), and the ElbasanSaint Athanasius church of Elbasan (built in 1554).

About 7 km away from Elbasan is the location of the orthodoxSaint John Vladimir's Church (Albanian:Kisha e Shën Gjon Vlladimirit) built by Albanian monarchKarl Thopia and his sonGjergj Thopia in 1381. Notably, SaintJovan Vladimir was buried at the church until 1995 when his remains were transferred to the Orthodox Cathedral in Tirana, being brought back to the monastery only for his feast days.^[31]

Elbasan is home to theNational Autocephalous Albanian Church (Albanian:Kisha Autoqefale Kombetare), a relatively new Orthodox Autocephalous church that split from theAlbanian Orthodox Church in 1995. Father Nikolle Marku is the leader of the new denomination.^[32]

Elbasan is also home to a Catholic church.

Elbasan has four museums:^[33]

• Ethnographic Museum (1982) held in an 18th-century building
• "Kostandin Kristoforidhi" house (started as a museum in 1978)
• Shkolla Normale Museum
• War Museum

Elbasan is home to theSummer Day festivities, apagan feast celebrating the end of winter and the coming ofsummer.Ballokume, a kind of cookie made withbutter and cornmeal among other ingredients, is the traditional dessert served on this day. Since 2004, it has become a national holiday being celebrated nationwide, in all Albania.

Elbasan istwinned with:

•  Dunaújváros, Hungary^[35]
•  Osijek, Croatia^[36]

Elbasan also has cooperation and friendship relationships with:

•  Bar, Montenegro^[37]
•  Liège, Belgium^[38]

• List of mayors of Elbasan

• elbasani.gov.al – Official Website(in Albanian)