Rozafa Castle rises upon a steep rocky hill, near the city of Shkodër, with an altitude of ca. 130 meters above sea level. Its surrounding walls occupy an area of 3.6 ha. Traces from the initial phase of fortification are still visible and represented by polygonal technique masonry. The chronology of these walls dates back to the 4th century BC. The fortified Illyrian town of Shkodra is first mentioned in the documentary sources in the course of the 2nd century AD, during the reign of Illyrian King Gentius. However, the prevalence of the name Rozafa occured in the medieval period, when the city was occupied by the Slavs and Byzantines. Inside the fortification of the city are preserved traces of dwellings and other structures as garrisons, storerooms and administrative buildings. Inside of it, the city was organized in three levels, thought as courtyards, confined from each other through walls while the communication between them were enabled through doorways. The entrance into the first courtyard is conducted passing through a gallery protected by a high don jon. In the eastern part of this court are preserved the ruins of the Venetian neighbor. The whole surface of this courtyard was protected by three towers built in different periods, the Middle Ages and the Ottoman period. The second courtyard is larger and is situated in the central part of the castle. It is confined by the former through a transversal wall which lacks the towers. Inside its surface are situated four barrel-vaulted cisterns which were supplied with water by the nearby shadoofs. The rest of the ruins identified in this space of the castle belong to a storeroom, to a prison and to a church, which was later turned into a mosque. The third courtyard, known as the citadel, is smaller and occupies the upper part of the hill. Inside the castle are preserved ruins which belong to a round tower, to a storehouse and to a three-floor Venetian building. The perimeter of the surrounding walls measures around a kilometer and through its length the wall is protected by nine towers.

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Rozafa Castle - Public Info

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Inserted: 01-03-2023 06:03:26