{{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, Shëngjergj | source1_location = Tirana County | source1_coordinates= {{coord|41|19|37|N|20|4|47|E}} | source1_elevation = {{Convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}} | mouth = Lalzi Bay<ref>{{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}}</ref> | mouth_location = 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 | length_km = 109 | length_ref = <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 }}</ref> | basin_size_km2 = 760 }}
The '''Erzen''' ({{lang-sq-definite|Erzeni}}) is a river in central Albania. The {{convert|109|km|abbr=on}} long Erzen has a {{convert|760|km²|abbr=on}} catchment area, including the southern Tirana District and eastern Durrës District.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Name== The ancient Illyrian name of the river was ''Ardaxanos'', which is a derivative of ''*daksa'' "water", "sea", also found in the name of the island ''Daxa'', of the Illyrian tribe ''Dassareti'' and of the Chaonian tribe ''Dexari''. It is mentioned for the first time by Polybius in the 2nd century BC.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The contemporary Albanian name ''Erzen'' (definite form: ''Erzeni'') evolved from the ancient ''Ardaxanos'' through Albanian sound changes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Demiraj|first=Shaban|author-link=Shaban Demiraj|publisher=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}}</ref>
==Overview== The river has its origin in the ''Mali me Gropa'' {{convert|1200|m|abbr=on}} elevation above sea level and is some {{convert|25|km|abbr=on}} east of Tirana near Shëngjergj, flowing northwest through Petrelë and Sukth to the Adriatic Sea {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} north of Durrës.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Significant tributaries of Erzen include Lake Farkë, Korrë, Lanë, 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 river. On the southwestern outskirts at Yzberisht the transition from the plane to the Erzen valley is barely perceptible. The mouth is between Durrës 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 and a part of Durrës area is about 700 square km.
Apparently, all twenty-two victims of the 1951 massacre were dumped into the river on Enver Hoxha's orders, only to later be found wrapped tightly in barbed tape.
==Gallery== <gallery> Erzen_Petrela.jpg|Erzen Valley seen from Petrelë Castle Dmma15.jpg|Bridge near Shijak in 1914 Dajtji_7.jpg|Skorana Gorge </gallery>
== See also == {{commons category|Erzen}} * Geography of Albania * List of rivers of Albania
== References == {{Reflist}}
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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