Elbasan is located in the center of the country and is the third largest city in the country. It is located at a distance of 54km from the capital and 82km from the main port of Durres. It has been an ancient settlement at the intersection of west-east and north-south roads. Originally known as “Skampa”, II century AD. it has been the first important station after Durres in “Via Egnatia”. Later it was known by the term Hiskampis and in 509 it appeared as a bishopric center. The old settlement was ruined by the invasions of the barbarians and in the 15th century it was re-emerged as Valmi.
In 1466 Sultan Mehmeti II, unable to take Kruja’s fortress, set up his camp in the area of Elbasan and rebuilt the castle and city walls calling it “ILBASAN” (the ruling place).
The reconstructed Elbasan began to populate rapidly and in the 16th century turned into a sannyak center. During his history Elbasan became a very important center of Albanian national education, in 1909 the first Albanian high school “Elbasani Norma” was created. From this province are the famous Albanian iconographers Onufri and Kostandin Shpataraku, as well as the important linguist of the XIX century Albanian language, Kostandin Kristoforidhi, who was born in this city.
The most important objects to visit in the city are the castle, Nazireshë mosque XVII century (this is rarely a mosque with a woman name), the hammam of the XVI century, the church of Saint Mary in the fortress, the ethnographic museum, the clock tower etc. .
4 km from the town is the monastery of St. John Vladimir, built there by the Albanian prince Karl Topia in 1382. There is also his grave. Near the city there are lixhat which are known since the Roman period.