# Erzen
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzen
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{{other|Erzen (disambiguation)}}
{{Short description|River and a tourist attraction in Albania}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Erzen
| image = River Erzen close to Iba.jpg
| image_caption = Erzen flowing near the village of Ibë
| image_size =
| source1 = [Mali me Gropa](/source/Mali_me_Gropa-Biz%C3%AB-Martanesh_Protected_Landscape), [Shëngjergj](/source/Sh%C3%ABngjergj)
| source1_location = [Tirana County](/source/Tirana_County)
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|41|19|37|N|20|4|47|E}}
| source1_elevation = {{Convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth = Lalzi Bay[{{cite web|title=Coastal vegetation of the Lalzi bay (Albania)|url=http://botanicaserbica.bio.bg.ac.rs/arhiva/pdf/2010_34_2_514_full.pdf|website=botanicaserbica.bio.bg.ac.rs|page= 1|language=English}}]
| mouth_location = [Adriatic Sea](/source/Adriatic_Sea)
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41|26|13|N|19|27|35|E|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{Convert|0|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [Albania](/source/Albania)
| length_km = 109
| length_ref = [{{Cite web |url=http://www.instat.gov.al/graphics/doc/downloads/publikime/Tregues%20sipas%20qarqeve2006.pdf |title=TREGUES SIPAS QARQEVE INDICATORS BY PREFECTURES |access-date=2017-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724163040/http://www.instat.gov.al/graphics/doc/downloads/publikime/Tregues%20sipas%20qarqeve2006.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }}]
| basin_size_km2 = 760
}}
The '''Erzen''' ({{lang-sq-definite|Erzeni}}) is a river in central [Albania](/source/Albania). The {{convert|109|km|abbr=on}} long Erzen has a {{convert|760|km²|abbr=on}} catchment area, including the southern [Tirana District](/source/Tirana_District) and eastern [Durrës District](/source/Durr%C3%ABs_District).[{{cite web|title=The coastline of Albania : morphology, evolution and coastal management issues|url=http://ciesm.org/online/monographs/CSS-3/CSS_3_151_168.pdf|website=ciesm.org|page=8|language=English}}]
==Name==
The ancient [Illyrian](/source/Illyrian_language) name of the river was ''Ardaxanos'', which is a derivative of ''*daksa'' "water", "sea", also found in the name of the island ''[Daxa](/source/Daksa_(island))'', of the [Illyrian](/source/Illyrians) tribe ''[Dassareti](/source/Dassareti)'' and of the [Chaonian](/source/Chaonians) tribe ''[Dexari](/source/Dexari)''. It is mentioned for the first time by [Polybius](/source/Polybius) in the 2nd century BC.[{{cite book |last1=Kunstmann |first1=Heinrich |last2=Thiergen |first2=Peter |title=Beiträge zur Geschichte der Besiedlung Nord- und Mitteldeutschlands mit Balkanslaven |date=1987 |publisher=O. Sagner |url=http://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/5ca0240d-cb67-447b-838c-e448c1f84200/1003655.pdf|pages=110–112}}] The contemporary Albanian name ''Erzen'' (definite form: ''Erzeni'') evolved from the ancient ''Ardaxanos'' through Albanian sound changes.[{{cite book|last=Demiraj|first=Shaban|author-link=Shaban Demiraj|publisher=[Academy of Sciences of Albania](/source/Academy_of_Sciences_of_Albania)|title=The origin of the Albanians: linguistically investigated|isbn=9789994381715|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aXIbAQAAIAAJ|year=2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120114336/https://books.google.com/books?id=aXIbAQAAIAAJ|archive-date=20 November 2020|page=146}}]
==Overview==
The river has its origin in the ''Mali me Gropa'' {{convert|1200|m|abbr=on}} elevation [above sea level](/source/above_sea_level) and is some {{convert|25|km|abbr=on}} east of [Tirana](/source/Tirana) near [Shëngjergj](/source/Sh%C3%ABngjergj), flowing northwest through [Petrelë](/source/Petrel%C3%AB) and [Sukth](/source/Sukth) to the [Adriatic Sea](/source/Adriatic_Sea) {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} north of [Durrës](/source/Durr%C3%ABs).[{{cite web|title=Hydronymica Albanica — A Survey of River Names in Albania|url=http://www.elsie.de/pdf/articles/A1994HydronymicaAlbania_Revised2014.pdf|website=elsie.de|page=12|language=English}}] Significant tributaries of Erzen include [Lake Farkë](/source/Farka_Lake), Korrë, [Lanë](/source/Lan%C3%AB), Murdhar, Shtërmen and Zhëllimë.
The river passes through the city of Tirana, only a few kilometers from its southern end. Only a small range of hills separates the valley of the Erzen river with the Lana, Tirana, Zeza and Tërkuza rivers that form the [Ishëm](/source/Ish%C3%ABm_(river)) river. On the southwestern outskirts at Yzberisht the transition from the plane to the Erzen valley is barely perceptible. The mouth is between [Durrës](/source/Durr%C3%ABs) and the headland of Cape of Rodon at Lalzi bay. The average discharge rate at the mouth is 18.1 m³ / s, the highest discharge rate for the year exceeds minimum to the eleven-time. Its drainage area which includes all [Tirana District](/source/Tirana_District) and a part of Durrës area is about 700 square km.
Apparently, all twenty-two victims of the [1951 massacre](/source/Massacre_of_1951_in_Albania) were dumped into the river on [Enver Hoxha](/source/Enver_Hoxha)'s orders, only to later be found wrapped tightly in [barbed tape](/source/barbed_tape).
==Gallery==
Erzen_Petrela.jpg|Erzen Valley seen from [Petrelë Castle](/source/Petrel%C3%AB_Castle)
Dmma15.jpg|Bridge near Shijak in 1914
Dajtji_7.jpg|[Skorana Gorge](/source/Rock_formations_in_Albania)
== See also ==
{{commons category|Erzen}}
* [Geography of Albania](/source/Geography_of_Albania)
* [List of rivers of Albania](/source/List_of_rivers_of_Albania)
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Articles related to Erzen River
| list =
{{Rivers in Albania}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Geography}}
Category:Rivers of Albania
Category:Geography of Tirana County
Category:Drainage basins of the Adriatic Sea
Category:Dajti National Park
Category:Braided rivers in Albania
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Erzen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.