Arapaj
Encyclopedia
Arapaj is a village in the municipality of Rrashbull
Rrashbull
Rrashbull or Rashbull is a municipality in the Durrës District, Durrës County, western Albania....

, Durrës County
Durrës County
The County of Durrës is one of the 12 counties of Albania. It consists of the districts Durrës and Krujë and its capital is Durrës. The city is 40 minutes away from Tirana by car. It has the largest sea port in Albania....

, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

. It is a southern suburb of Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...

, located near the Mediterranean coast, approximately 6 kilometres south of this city.

Arapaj is a noted archaeological site, containing the substantial Basilica of Saint Michael dedicated to Saint Michael, an early Palaeo-Christian church which is believed to back to the fifth or sixth century. It has been declared a Cultural Monument
Cultural Monument of Albania
The List of Religious Cultural Monuments of Albania refers to a monument in Albania which has been recognized by the Government of Albania and Ministry of Culture as a religious national heritage monument and one which is seen as of top importance to the religious culture of the nation. These...

 of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

 because of its architectural significance.A mosaic unearthed in the Basilica also demonstrates how engrained its culture was later on with the early Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

.
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