Durrës Archaeological Museum, Archaeological museum in Durrës, Albania.
The Durrës Archaeological Museum is a three-storey building near the beach, north of the 6th-century Byzantine walls. Its collection of 3,204 artifacts from Dyrrhachium spans the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman periods, with Roman funeral steles, stone sarcophagi and miniature busts of Venus. Large finds are placed in the central hall and courtyard.
The museum opened in 1951 to showcase objects from excavations of the ancient city. After suffering damage and losses in the 1990s, it was extensively renovated and reopened in 2015.
The museum's collection includes miniature busts of Venus, evidence that Durrës was once a centre of worship of the goddess. Roman funeral steles and stone sarcophagi show how the city's inhabitants commemorated their dead.
The museum stands near the beach, with the 6th-century Byzantine walls just to its north. It is open daily from 9 am to 3 pm except Monday. Parts of the building are undergoing restoration after the 2019 earthquake, so some sections may be closed.
The collection includes small busts of the goddess Venus and ancient coins that show the city was a major minting center. These finds reveal the economic importance and far-reaching trade connections of the ancient city.
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