Pojan is a small village whose only but impressive attraction are the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia, hidden in an old olive grove.
Apollonia was founded in the 6th century BC by settlers from the Greek Corinth. It was named after the god Apollo. The settlement was located in fertile areas that were quickly used for farming. Trade flourished here as well, and the port on the Adriatic, only one kilometer away, quickly became one of the most important centers in the region.
The golden time in the history of the city lasted until the end of the 3rd century BC, when it fell successively into the hands of Epirus, Rome and Macedonians. The end of its existence was brought by the great earthquake of the 3rd century AD. Ruins of magnificent buildings remained, and as a result of the shifting of the nearby river bed, the fertile fields turned into marshes. Apollonia was forgotten for many centuries. Its ruins were not discovered until 1916.
The archaeological park of Apollonia was established on the site of the excavations. In the olive grove you can see the ruins of the Temple of Agonothetes, the small Odeon and the Temple of Diana. The city's commercial traditions are recalled by the Great Stoa, preserved only as foundations. There are also visible traces of large cisterns in which water was stored.
The picturesque Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been preserved in the park from the Middle Ages, inside which you can see the remains of paintings.
