Rozafa Castle
| Rozafa Castle | |
|---|---|
| Shkodër, in northwestern Albania | |
.JPG) Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque within Rozafa castle | |
| Coordinates | 42°02′47″N 19°29′37″E / 42.0465°N 19.4935°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner |  Albania |
| Controlled by | Illyrian tribes (Labeates, Ardiaei)  Roman Empire  Byzantine Empire Duklja Serbian Grand Principality  Kingdom of Serbia  Serbian Empire  Zeta  Republic of Venice  Ottoman Empire  Kingdom of Montenegro Great Powers Albania |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Limestone, brick |
Rozafa castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Rozafës) is a castle near the city of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania. It rises imposingly on a rocky hill, 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level, surrounded by the Buna and Drin rivers. Shkodër is the seat of Shkodër County, and is one of Albania's oldest and most historic towns, as well as an important cultural and economic centre.
History
Due to its strategic location, the hill has been settled since antiquity. It was an Illyrian stronghold until it was captured by the Romans in 167 BC.[1] The 19th-century German author and explorer Johann Georg von Hahn suggested that the ancient and medieval city of Shkodër was located immediately south of the Rozafa hill, between the hill and the confluence of Buna and Drin. The fortifications, as they have been preserved to date, are mostly of Venetian origin.[2] The castle has been the site of several famous sieges, including the siege of Shkodra by the Ottomans in 1478 and the siege of Shkodra by the Montenegrins in 1912. The castle and its surroundings form an Archaeological Park of Albania.[3]
| Period | Visitors |
| 2016 | 38,631[4] |
| 2017 | About 50,000[4] |
Gallery
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Minaret of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque -
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Rozafa castle in 1863 -
Church of the Holy Mother of God -
Ruins of the castle
See also
References
- ^ A. Evans et al., Ancient Illyria: An Archaeological Exploration, 2006, p 83
- ^ J.G. von Hahn, Albanesische Studien, Jena 1854, pp 94-96.
- ^ Jürgen (2002-09-30). Albanian identities: myth and history. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34189-1. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ a b "DRKK Shkodër". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
| Castles in Albania | |
|---|---|
| Northern Albania | |
| Central Albania | |
| Southern Albania | |
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