Albania Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Albania appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 21 different states, among them Ottoman Empire, Albania, Eastern Roman Empire, Roman Empire, Bulgar Khanate.
AlbaniaExplore the history of Albania in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Albania, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Albania?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Albania belonged to Ottoman Empire, Albania, Eastern Roman Empire, Roman Empire, Bulgar Khanate, Byzantine Empire, along with 15 other states.
What was Albania part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Albania lay within Bulgar Khanate.
What was Albania part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Albania lay within Ottoman Empire.
What was Albania part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Albania lay within Ottoman Empire.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.