Once a very prosperous city known for its handcrafts, the town has retained its historical centre with its cobbled streets. During the antique times, Elbasan was an important city, a stopover town on the Via Egnatia road that connected Rome to Constantinople. You will also see the ancient fortress, some beautiful houses and one of the oldest mosques in the country, testimonials of the Ottoman Empire domination.

The town is also known as “Llibasan“, meaning “powerful place.”