Dropull
| Dropull | ||
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| Municipality | ||
Dawn near Jorgucat
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 Dropull
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| Coordinates: 39°59′N 20°14′E / 39.983°N 20.233°ECoordinates: 39°59′N 20°14′E / 39.983°N 20.233°E | ||
| Country |
 Albania
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| County | Gjirokastër | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Ahilea Deçka (DP) | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality | 448.25 km2 (173.07 sq mi) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Municipality | 3,503 | |
| • Municipality density | 7.8/km2 (20/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Area Code | (0)884 | |
| Vehicle registration | AL | |
| Website | Official Website | |
Dropull (Albanian: Dropulli; Greek: Δρόπολις, Dropolis) is a municipality and a predominantly Greek-inhabited region in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. The region stretches from south of the city of Gjirokastër to the Greek–Albanian border, along the Drinos river. The region's villages are part of the Greek "minority zone" recognized by the Albanian government, in which live majorities of ethnic Greeks. The municipality Dropull was created in 2015 by the merger of the present municipalities Dropull i Poshtëm, Dropull i Sipërm and Pogon. The seat of the municipality is the village Sofratikë. The total population is 3,503 (2011 census), in a total area of 448.25 km2.
During the Middle Helladic period (2100-1550 BC), a double tumulus was excavated, in Vodhinë, with strong similarities to the grave circles at Mycenae, showing a common ancestral link with the Myceneans of southern Greece. In classical antiquity, the area was inhabited by the Greek tribe of the Chaonians.
From the Roman period there was a settlement named Hadrianopolis in the region, named after the Roman emperor Hadrian. The settlement was built on a strategic spot in the valley of the river Drinos near the modern village of Sofratike, 11 kilometers south of Gjirokastër.
The foundations of Hadrianopolis were first discovered in 1984 when upper sections of the amphitheater were noticed by local farmers. Italian and Albanian archaeologists subsequently excavated much of the site, revealing a full amphitheater, Roman baths, and changing rooms. The site of the agora (forum) has been detected using ground radar, and excavation is expected in the period 2018 onwards. In the amphitheater, there are post holes for iron railings on first row seats. Also some "changing rooms" - originally for actors - were converted to holding pens for wild animals. This was a site where Romans fed enemies of the state to wild animals.
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Wikipedia