Nicopolis

While still anchored off Preveza, (we were thinking of putting up a letter box we had been there so long!) we hired a car to do another visa run to Albania.  This was one long day: on the road by 5am, catch the ferry from Igoumenitsa to Corfu at 7 am, race to catch the 9 am ferry to Saranda, have lunch in Albania, return ferry to Corfu, another ferry to Igoumentsia, quick dinner there then drive back to Preveza, dinghy to the boat and back on Songster by 10 pm.  But I now have another 90 days in the Schengen area.

Saranda at the end of June - quite a change from the sleepy town we saw in March

We kept the car for another day to visit the ancient city of Nicopolis, just a few kilometres north of Preveza.  Nicopolis was built by Caesar Augustus in 31 AD in commemoration of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.  This victory marked the transition of Rome from a Republic to an Empire.  For the next 700 years Nicopolis was a thriving city and capital of the province of Epirus Vetus, the area that is now Albania  and north western Greece.

Present day Prevesa is just across the channel from ancient Actium (now called Aktio)

Our first stop was the early Byzantine ruins of a large house, Domus of Ekdikos Georgios, containing large courtyards, nympheum and baths. 

View of baths and city walls from the Domus

Remains of the courtyard

Nympheum

Shells decorated the walls of the nympheum

A 6^th Century Byzantine Basilica is located in the area around the Domus containing some of the best mosaics I have seen to date.

 

 

 

The whole city is surrounded by a large wall that stretches along the present day roads and through olive groves.  Fortified towers are still standing and some steps have been restored so it is possible to climb to the top of the wall.  A small Odeum has been restored and occasionally used today for musical and theatrical events.

 

City walls along the olive groves

One of the restored gates

Tower embedded in the wall

Odeum

Two kilometres down the road is a very good museum which houses some fantastic artefacts.

Fragment of a column with reliefs of Greek gods

Tiny terracotta masks

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day exploring the ruins.  After 4 years in the Eastern Mediterranean we sometimes run the risk of becoming a bit blasé about these ancient ruins.  Nicopolis re-sparked the wonder and fascination that these archaeological sites hold.