District of Devoll Rrethi i Devollit |
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District | |
Map showing the district within Albania |
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Country | Albania |
County | Korçë County |
Capital | Bilisht |
Area | |
• Total | 429 km2 (166 sq mi) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 33,785 |
• Density | 79/km2 (200/sq mi) |
The District of Devoll (Albanian: Rrethi i Devollit) is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County and derives its name from the Devoll river flowing through the valley. It has a population of 33,785, and an area of 429 km². It is in the southeastern corner of the country, and its capital is Bilisht. Its busy border point Kapshticë/Krystallopigi connects the district with the Greek regional units of Florina and Kastoria to the east and southeast. Devoll borders the district of Kolonjë to the southwest and Korçë to the west and north.
The district is known in history for the Devol fortress, where the Treaty of Devol between Bohemond I of Antioch and Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos was held in 1108. Its site became forgotten in modern times, however it has been tentatively identified with the site Zvezdë (located at 40°43′N 020°51′E / 40.717°N 20.850°E), a conjecture already proposed by the 19th century British traveller William Martin Leake in 1835.