Dajti Castle

Did You Know?

• In 2008 a three-year restoration project began, aiming to conduct further archaeological surveys and improve visitor infrastructure.
• The restoration project was prepared by archaeologists Spiro Nika and Suela Xhyheri and coordinated by Prof. Dr Skënder Muçaj.
• Mount Dajt is rich in bauxite, and a bauxite mine still operates near the site.

History

Archaeological material and analysis suggest the castle dates to the late antiquity of the 6th century. Procopius of Caesarea wrote that Emperor Justinian I built 32 castles and reconstructed 26 others in Epirus Nova to protect against Slavic attacks, and mentioned the castle Tirkan, possibly Tujani Castle at a lower altitude on Dajti's mountainside. The site was discovered in 1963 by historian and archaeologist Neritan Ceka, and declared a Culture Monument of 1st category on January 15, 1963, by the Rectorate of the State University.

Location

Dajti Castle lies within Dajti Mountain National Park at an average altitude of 1200 meters above sea level, on a saddle-like hilltop on the western side of Mount Dajti. It is 25 kilometers by road from Tirana city centre, or reachable via a 4.2-kilometer cable-car route taking about 15 minutes, then a 2500-meter walk or drive from the terminal, followed by a climb through forest. The site overlooks western Albania, with a relative altitude of 1100 meters from Tirana, and offers views of Durrës and the Adriatic Sea.

Architecture

Wall analysis reveals two construction phases: an earlier dry stone method using large quadrangular blocks without mortar, suggesting an Illyrian castle, and a later Roman phase with unworked smaller stones bound with mortar. The site covers 11,200 m², with triangular walls of 550-meter perimeter following the sloppy terrain: the northern wall 150 m, eastern 190 m, and southern 210 m long. A transverse wall creates a small acropolis-like structure in the north, and towers sit at each vertex, including a circular southern tower with an outer diameter of 7.3 m and 1.15 m thick walls.

Archaeological material

Key finds include several coins of Byzantine emperor Tiberius II Constantine and an 18 cm iron knife-like tool. Ceramic fragments of pure, well-baked clay were found, mostly Roman roof tiles and some everyday vessels, including a tile fragment with Illyrian-style stamped figures. Slag from ore smelting indicates local familiarity with the process, and a vessel with flutings and remains of a profiled loom show introduced Roman culture.