Mosaic of Tirana

The mosaic in the Partizani block is a cultural heritage monument in Tirana. This monument is of the "Art" type, approved in June 1973. Its typology is mosaic, built in the V-VI centuries. In 1972, in the Partizani block, during the works for the construction of a residential building, the ruins of an ancient building were encountered. When the archaeologists began the excavations, they discovered that the premises were paved with mosaics, where they also found the presence of the premises of a Christian cult church.
This settlement dates back to the 1st century BC and is thought to have been a rural dwelling, with an area of about 250 m². The ruins where the Mosaic of Tirana is found are listed in the typology of the Paleo-Christian church. In its beginnings, the objects of the Christian cult used the previous Roman architecture, including special constructions, in the premises of the Christian cult.

The three premises of the settlement are paved with mosaics, where geometric and floral motifs dominate: like the stylized braid, typical of the beginning of Paleo-Christian art. In the mosaic of the narthex, the paleo-Christian motifs are more evident with the symbols: of fish, of nettle leaves, of double braid and of the symbol of the cross.
During the years 2003-2004, other parts of the complex were discovered near the perimeter of the monument. The main ones were: grape must fermentation vats. The mosaic reopened to the public in January 2010 and remains the city's most visited archaeological site.