Elbasan

The name Elbasan is derived from the Ottoman Turkish il-basan, meaning 'the fortress'.

In August 2010, archaeologists discovered two Roman Era Illyrian graves near the walls of the castle of Elbasan.

Elbasan has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of 13.1 °C.

The city gained prominence after a steel mill was built by the Chinese in 1974.

Elbasan is home to the Summer Day festivities, a pagan feast that has been celebrated nationwide since 2004.