The Monumental Tomb is located in the eastern part of the Mountain of the Villa. It is part of the settlement known as the “Ancient Walls and the Perscopian Tomb” on Mount Petrela. Persqop was one of the ancient cities that were not reused for a long time. It is believed that the population moved and settled in Petrela. Today, these old ruins attract tourists to ancient and curious history of archaeological values.

History

The ancient city of Brysak belongs to the Illyrian tribe of Partheni and belonged to the partinian koinon with the capital, Parthen (Berat). This town was next to the Egnatia road beneath it, along the banks of the Erzen River. The city controlled the ancient road from Dyrrah, passed to Tyran and went to Scampin (Durres-Tirana-Elbasan), later part of the Egnatia road. It was the residence of King Illyria Glaukia, who has sheltered the Epirus leader Pirros of Epirus for 10 years from the age of 2 to 12 years, which the Macedonians wanted to kill. They offered King Glaukia a large sum of money but he refused. (Source: ‘Illyrians’ Neritan Ceka)

The city has lived about 1000 years and its splendor has been from 2500 to 200 years ago. With the invasion of Illyria by the Romans, the city fell. In the 4th century AD, construction of the Petrela fortress is now under way and the city loses its function. Fragments of Pelasgic walls are the largest in Albania today preserved since that time. The walls surrounded the hillside and on the eastern side there are the ruins of a monumental tomb (locals call it “The tomb of Christians”). The walls are built with massive stone blocks without bonding material (mortar).