Dating back to 400 BC the Monumental tombs of Selce are unique from the archeological and construction perspective. They are located 40 km away from the town of Pogradec. Though there are traces of human activity in Neolithic times, the settlement proper dates to the Iron Age through to the Illyrian urban period, and reached its height under settlement by the Illyrian tribe of Enchele in the later Iron Age and was also occupied in the Roman period as traces of a municipal building show. Other tombs that are similar to them have been found only in Lebanon. The tombs are on a high hill, in the village of (Lower Selce) Selce e Poshtme. They have paintings of scenes with Illyrian kings in the battlefield fighting with ancient Macedonians. Clitues, an Illyrian king, is said to have been buried in one of the tombs. The items that have been found in the tombs are extremely valuable and are kept in museums in Tirana. The road to the tombs is difficult but during the drive the visitors can see the upper stream of the Shkumbin, one of the biggest rivers in Albania. There are still some Ottoman bridges on the river, which were once used by caravans.
Because of their high historical and archaeological value, in 1996, Albania included these royal tombs in the UNESCO World heritage list of proposals. Fortunately, after decades of being overlooked, work is in progress to restore these tombs so that this monument of Albanian culture and heritage is properly preserved for years to come.