Municipium Ulpiana-Justiniana Secunda

Municipium Ulpiana - Justiniana Secund, located about 12 km to the southeast of Prishtina, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Kosovo. During the Roman period, Ulpiana was one of the main communication nodes between Constantinople and Rome, where roads connecting the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea crossed near the ancient city. The most popular routes were: Via Lissus-Naissus and Scupit. In year 169 A.D. Ulpiana acquired the status of a municipium (Municipium Ulpianum). Ulpiana reached its greatest development in the period between the centuries III and IV A.D., becoming a strong political, economic and cultural centre. In the period of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, Ulpiana was renamed to Justiniana Secunda. The first archaeological discoveries began in the second half of the last century and have continued up to the present day by local and foreign archaeologists, resulting in the discovery of several cult objects and sacral monuments, part of the surrounding walls and defence towers, the castrum or Roman military camp, and hundreds of fragments of various finds/artefacts. Archaeological excavations have also revealed other parts of the city such as: the North Gate, the Portico Temple, the Fortezza Basilica, the mosaic floor in the Basilica, the Baptistery, and the Northern Necropolis. In October 2016 Ulpiana was declared an archaeological park. Based on its historical, archaeological, artistic and scientific values, the Minicipium Ulpiana-Justiniana Secunda asset was proclaimed a site under permanent protection by the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage in 2016.