Mat (region)
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Mat is a region in north-central Albania, referring to the valley of the Mat river and its surrounding mountains.
A satellite view of the Mat valley in the winter. The mountains surrounding it are capped in snow, while the Mat river is visible, as well as Lake Ulëz and Shkopet in the north.
Origin of the Albanians
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The origin of the Albanians has been the subject of historical, linguistic, archaeological and genetic studies. The first mention of the ethnonym Albanoi occurred in the 2nd century AD by Ptolemy describing an Illyrian tribe who lived around present-day central Albania. The first certain attestation of medieval Albanians as an ethnic group is in the 11th century, when they continuously appear in Byzantine sources.
Image: Veshje popullore tropojane
Image: Fustanela 001