Shkodër and Rozafa
Shkodër and Rozafa Fortress
Shkodër is one of the largest and most important cities in Albania. It was founded in the 4th century BC as the capital of the Illyrian tribe of the Labeates, and during the reign of King Agron, it became the capital of the Illyrian kingdom of the Ardiaei tribes. The ancient city was located where the Rozafa Fortress stands today, with remains dating back to the Bronze Age (about 5,000 years ago). The fortress sits on a hill surrounded by cliffs above the confluence of the Drin and Buna rivers, next to Lake Shkodër—the largest lake in the Balkans. The lake is accessible by boat from the sea via the Buna River and is surrounded by fertile valleys.
Shkodër was an ideal anchorage point for the Lembus boats, the primary military vessels of the Illyrians. The great Illyrian kings, Agron and Teuta, ruled from here and made the city their capital, overseeing the Adriatic coast.
The Roman struggle against the Illyrians was centered in Shkodër. Queen Teuta was eventually forced to leave the city and move the capital to Risan in Montenegro. However, the next great king, Gentius, recaptured the city and led the final struggle for Illyrian independence from this location. That struggle ended in defeat, and Shkodër became the capital of the Roman province of Illyria.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the city passed into Byzantine, Bulgarian, and later Serbian hands. In the 14th century, Shkodër was the capital of the Zeta province, which was eventually conquered by Venice. It later became part of Skanderbeg’s fortress system and was known as the Venice of the Adriatic. It was the last stronghold to be conquered by the Ottomans in the 16th century. Afterward, it became the center of the Dukagjini family, who ruled over northern Albania.
Like other Illyrian sites, the fortress is surrounded by walls constructed with ancient Cyclopean stones. The old city stretched from the acropolis (the hilltop) down to the river and is now an archaeological park. The modern city moved a few kilometers north, where it now lies on the shores of Lake Shkodër.
