Kaljaja (Prizren)

Kalaja or Prizren Fortress ( Каlаја) is the medieval fortress in Prizren, Kosovo, in which once the capital of Serbian Empire was located. It was built on a hill above Prizrenska Bistrica, around which the modern city developed. The first fort, erected on this location by the Byzantines, was further expanded by Tsar Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia. The fort then came under the Ottomans, who controlled it for four and a half centuries, giving it its modern shape.

Kaljaja was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1948.

Fortress Past
The Prizren square and its stronghold developed the trade route which passed through the Drin valley and connected Scutari or the Adriatic Sea with the Metohija region and the interior of the Balkan Peninsula.

Prizren was developed on the foundations of the ancient Theranda, while its early medieval form received between vi and 9th century. Under the present name was first mentioned in 1019 at the time Basil II (976-1025) in the form of Prizdrijana. It is 1072nd year for the emperor and the carrier Samuel vog (976-1014) of declared Serbian Prince Bodin (1081–1101), during large Slavic uprising against the Byzantine Empire which broke out that year under the leadership of George Voiteh in Skopje.

From the time Stefan Nemanjić (1196–1223) is located within the Serbia and its importance increases particularly during the reign of King Milutin (1282–1321) and Serbian Emperors Dušan (1331–1355) and Uroš (1355–1371). Dusan expanded fortification and in its vicinity has built his foundation Holy Archangels protecting it by raising Visegrad fortress. During the existence of Serbian Empire Prizren is one time was the imperial capital for which is often called theSerbian Constantinople.

During the dissolution of Serbian Empire, the city of 1362 until 1372nd year found in possession of the Mrnjavčević (Vukasin (1366–1371) and Marko (1371–1395)), after which you take Balšić to 1376. And probably found within the state of Vuk Brankovic (?-1398), but was then already begun to lose its commercial importance, but because the 1433rd year mentioned as a deserted square.

There is disagreement about when the Ottomans finally captured him, so he probably fell 21 June 1455, although there are those who on the basis of some sources of the nizam's fall placed in 1459. During several centuries of Turkish occupation of the fort suffered extensions in accordance with the development of Firearms, after the liberation of the First Balkan War 1912th year fort abandoned.

During the Ottoman occupation of the Serbian lands, the Serbs held social gatherings at several monumental places, such as Kaljaja, where they danced the Kolo in the evening.

Fortress appearance
Prizren city is built on a hill South from Kaljaja. It has an irregular shape that follows the plateau on which it is raised. The city consists of: while as a separate entity aside part of the East, who probably comes from the Middle Ages.
 * Big city
 * Senior city (southwestern part of the fortress)

The fort today
The fort is now in ruins, but still can be see its monumentality, although it is difficult to discern the outlines of the original medieval town and the number of Towers due to later expansion.