Arhiva Ulcinj

Jahja Drançolli

Shasi (Suacium, Svaç, Soacia etj.) është një nga qendrat mesjetare më të rëndësishme të hapësirës së Ulqinit dhe pellgut shkodran, me një histori të gjatë banimi që nis nga antikiteti ilir dhe vijon gjatë periudhës romake, bizantine dhe mesjetare. Rrënojat e qytetit ndodhen rreth 25 km në verilindje të Ulqinit, përgjatë rrugës historike Tivar–Shkodër, në një pozicion strategjik mbi një kodër pranë Liqenit të Shasit. Zhvillimi urban i qytetit është përshtatur ngushtë me konfiguracionin e terrenit dhe përfshin Qytetin e Epërm (fortifikatën) dhe Qytetin e Poshtëm. Burimet historike e përmendin Shasin në dokumente zyrtare që nga viti 1089, ndërsa ipeshkvia e tij përmendet të paktën që nga shekulli VIII. Qyteti ishte pjesë e rëndësishme e organizimit kishtar të rajonit dhe, së bashku me Tivarin dhe Ulqinin, përfshihej në juridiksionin e mitropolisë së Durrësit. Gërmimet arkeologjike, veçanërisht ato të realizuara në vitin 1989, kanë dëshmuar një kontinuitet të gjatë kulturor, duke nxjerrë në dritë shtresa banimi që nga periudha ilire, romake dhe bizantine, deri në Mesjetë. Zbulimi i një shtrese kulturore të shekullit VI mbështet hipotezën se fortifikimet veriore të qytetit janë ndërtuar ose rindërtuar gjatë kohës së perandorit Justinian. Fortifikata e Shasit përfshinte një sipërfaqe prej rreth 2 hektarësh dhe ishte e rrethuar me mure dhe kulla mbrojtëse, të ndërtuara në përputhje me terrenin natyror. Qasja kryesore në qytet realizohej nga ana veriore, ndërsa ana jugore ishte e mbr

Drançolli, Jahja

Shas (also known in historical sources as Suacium, Svač, Soacia, among other variants) represents one of the most significant medieval centers in the wider region of Ulcinj and the Lake Shkodra basin. The site demonstrates a long continuity of settlement beginning in Illyrian antiquity and extending through the Roman, Byzantine, and medieval periods. The ruins of the city are located approximately 25 km northeast of Ulcinj, along the historic Bar–Shkodra route, occupying a strategic hilltop position overlooking Lake Shas. The urban layout closely follows the natural configuration of the terrain and is divided into the Upper Town (fortress) and the Lower Town, a characteristic feature of many medieval settlements in the region. Historical sources mention Shas in official documents as early as 1089, while its bishopric is attested at least from the eighth century. Together with Bar and Ulcinj, Shas formed part of the ecclesiastical organization of the region and belonged to the jurisdiction of the Metropolitanate of Durrës. Archaeological investigations, particularly those conducted in 1989, have confirmed a long cultural and settlement continuity, revealing material remains from the Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, and medieval periods. The discovery of a cultural layer dating to the sixth century supports the hypothesis that the northern fortification walls were constructed or reconstructed during the reign of Emperor Justinian. The fortress of Shas covered an area of approximatel

village in Ulcinj Municipality, Montenegro

Dalladaku, Denis, Kraja, Korab

[EN] Both into the other parts of the Mediterranean Sea and but also further inside the mainland. Ulcinj’s highly prominent role in the maritime heritage of the Mediterranean, both as a port and later a fortified castle, has been studied and well documented. However, its relationship with the mainland is, for the lack of a better word, bland of a creative understanding of its potential as a cultural landscape. This paper therefore, aims to study this relationship with a focus on Ulcinj and its surrounding mainland in an attempt to narrate a landscape story that is anchored within the archaeological materiality and the natural elements in a progressively developing system, with the Buna River acting as its backbone. The connection of Ulcinj and Shkodra through the Buna River is an important segment not only as a historical trade route but also as a progressive envelopment of a rich cultural landscape. From Ulcinj and along the Adriatic Sea a delta encloses the isle of Buna as a strong natural feature, already setting the pace of this coast-to-mainland dynamic. The weaving flow of Buna river unveils the anthropocene landscape of agricultural patterns. Past these farmlands and partly sunk on the lake of Sash, lie the ruins of the city of Shas, an ancient settlement that is now a prospective archaeological area waiting to be discovered. Further along the river, the ruins of the Church of Shirgj appear near the bank, an idyllic prelude to the grandeur of old bridges, before the an