history
The Illyrian roots of Albania
Long before Greeks and Romans named the western Balkans, the Illyrians lived here. Albanians consider themselves their direct descendants — and the language hints they're right.
By myAlbania Editorial·April 28, 2026·2 min read
The Illyrians were the dominant Indo-European tribes of the western Balkans from at least 2000 BC. They built fortified hilltop cities, traded with the Greeks across the Adriatic, and resisted Roman conquest for over a century.
The language clue
Albanian is one of Europe's linguistic isolates — a single Indo-European branch with no close relatives. The most cited theory is that it descends from Illyrian (with influences from Latin, Greek, Slavic and Turkish layered on).
Where to see Illyrian heritage
- Ruins of Bylis (Mallakastër) — fortified Illyrian-Greek city.
- Antigonea (near Gjirokastër) — Illyrian-Greek colony.
- Zgërdhesh (near Krujë) — Illyrian fortified town.
- Apollonia — Greek colony built on top of an Illyrian site.