Battle of Savra

The Battle of Savra (Savra field, near Lushnjë, modern-day southern Albania) was fought on 18 September 1385 between Ottoman and much smaller Serbian forces. In 1385 Balsa Balsich conquered Durazzo,presumably from Karlo Thopia. In a charter to Dubrovnik issued in April 1385, he called himself Duke of Durazzo. He was not to enjoy his prize for long. That summer a Turkish raiding party for the first time penetrated to the Adriatic and Ionian coast. Balsha rounded up one thousand men in Durazzo and, ignoring the advice of his more level headed courtiers,raced out to take on the Turkish raiders. Not surprisingly, his small forces had little success and Balsha was killed. And since the Ottomans were victorious, most of the local Serbian and Albanian lords became vassals.