Geography
The ancient city of Phoinike is located on the top and on the southern foothills of the hill which has the modern name of the Mali Finiqit . The old city is superimposed on the modern village of Finiq , which is located immediately to the south of the hill. The hill has a NW-SE orientation and reaches a height of about 272 m above sea level. The plain to the south connects in a natural way to Lake Butrint.
The hill is limited by the Kaliasa river, which flows south into the Bistrica River, which partially restricts this great plain to the SE. The Bistrica once flowed directly into the lake of Vivari (Butrint), but its course has been directed to the Ionian Sea. To the north of the hill is a large plane that, perhaps for the greater distance of the rivers, seems to be ignored by the ancient settlement. The research in this direction is only just beginning and with time more reliable data will become available.
The plain to the north is limited by the mountain chain called the Mali Gjërë. The chain separates this valley from the river Drinos valley where was once the border town of Epirus and Caonia, Antigonea , founded by Pyrrhus the Great. The river Drinos assures the communication with the Vjosa (Aoos) valley, to Apollonia at the Adriatic.
The city of Phoinike is located at a short distance from the Ionian Sea (about 8 km). Its natural outlet was the Gulf of Onchesmos, ancient name for the modern city of Saranda, still one of the main access points to the area. The access to the sea is partially blocked by a chain of hills and connections ,today as probably in ancient times, passed through the Muzina valley. This barrier is characterized by the presence of small fortified towns like Cuka and Metoqi.
A revival of the city came under Justinian who moved the town from the plains that became uninhabitable, to a higher altitude. This high ground, as can be seen from the archaeological evidence, could well be the same hill inhabited in former ages, mostly at the eastern end.
