The city of Elbasan is located north of the Shkumbin River, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in central Albania.

In antiquity, it appeared on Roman itineraries such as the Tabula Peutingeriana and the Itinerarium Burdigalense under the name Scampis or Hiscampis.

Despite enduring invasions by the Bulgars and Ostrogoths, the city was mentioned by Procopius of Caesarea.

Ruins of an early Christian basilica from the 5th or 6th century AD were uncovered in the Bezistan area.

The site was largely abandoned until the Ottomans established a military base here, followed by urban development under Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1466.

In 1909, Elbasan hosted the Albanian National Congress and became home to Shkolla Normale e Elbasanit, the first teacher training college in Albania.