Fortress of Justinian

Fortress of Justinian
Native name
Albanian: Kalaja e Tiranës
Castle of Tirana
Location Tirana
Coordinates 41°19′35″N 19°49′19″E / 41.32639°N 19.82194°E / 41.32639; 19.82194Coordinates: 41°19′35″N 19°49′19″E / 41.32639°N 19.82194°E / 41.32639; 19.82194
Height 6 m
Current use Open to the public
Owner  Albania
Designated 10 June 1973
Location of Fortress of Justinian in Albania

Fortress of Justinian (Albanian: Kalaja e Justinianit) or simply known as Tirana Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Tiranës) is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east-west and north-south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana. The current fortification has three known towers and it is undergoing a process of restoration, for touristic purposes. Inside the fortified walls of the former fortress, there are many buildings that can be visited, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions.[1]

About all that is left of the fortress above ground is a 6-metre (20 ft) high Ottoman-era wall, covered in vines. The recently uncovered wall foundations were incorporated into the pedestrianised Murat Toptani Street, while a mosaic commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Albania's Independence was unveiled near the Albanian Parliament.[2]

The Castle of Tirana was declared a monument of culture of first category on 10 June 1973 and the new tracks of walls of Tirana Castle were declared a cultural monument on 15 May 2008.[3]

Fortress Walls

References

  1. ↑ http://argophilia.com/albania/kalaja-the-fortress-of-tirana.html
  2. ↑ "Fortress of Justinian". Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  3. ↑ http://www.ba.itc.cnr.it/SOS-Tirana/info/CASTLE_OF_TIRANA.html
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