Although apparently a city of the communist era, it can be considered the richest place in Albania during the ancient period until the Middle Ages and the most important area of the Dasarts. This is confirmed by archaeological sources belonging to all periods of life development.
Maliqi is the city with Albania’s second largest production hangar and many prehistoric treasures.
It lies through the Pogradec-Korçë national road and is a destination that can be done in a day.
At the entrance of Maliqi, on the right, before crossing the river above Devoll, life used to boil. The prehistoric settlement of Maliqi is hidden here, one of the places with the most data from Albanian prehistory and includes the study of the late Neolithic, copper and bronze.
Otherwise, this prehistoric settlement was called Palafit, with the style of houses raised from the ground, with wooden columns and walls made of mud and tree branches.
Archaeologist Florenc Cenolli shows that the prehistoric settlement of Maliq is multi-layered and is related to the Neolithic, copper and iron periods.
In today’s town of Maliq, the buildings built in the time of Russia still have their former glory, the streets are clean and the people are kind.
Decades ago, the whole field was floating in water, and after the Liberation, the swamp that would create a large food barn was dried up. Then the city was built, and then the sugar factory.
There were many political convicts who participated in the draining of the swamp, among them the linguist Arshi Pipa, Dhimitër Pasko, known as Mitrush Kuteli, Pashko Gjeci, Father Thoma Shkurti, etc.
The beginnings of the city belong to the year 1946, with the drying of the swamp and further with the arrival of volunteers who lived in some improvised buildings. The construction of the sugar factory gave the industrial direction to the city, and after that the construction of the first buildings of the city, which were according to the Russian model, began.
Even today, Maliqi is known for the production of numerous agricultural crops and apples.
Today, the agricultural field of Maliq of 134 thousand hectares occupies the main weight of production after the field of Myzeqe.
One of the ancient forts is that of Kloča, or as it is otherwise known, the ‘Shadow of the Raven’. It is located 2 km south of Maliqi, at an altitude of 1250 meters above sea level.
On top of the hill you can see parts of the castle, which had an area of 18 hectares and belongs to late antiquity. Only two damaged tracts are preserved from the protective walls, and the illegal treasure hunters are damaging it as much. From there, Maliq’s field can be seen in the palm of your hand.
Another destination that should not be missed is the Pheasant Forest, a natural monument that fascinates you with its grandeur, which has become a tourist attraction for locals and foreigners.