The History of Harilaqi Castle

The fortress of Harilaq (IV-VI century) is located on a hill known as the Gradina of Harilaqi, erected in a very dominant position, in the west of Harilaq village, at an altitude of 766 meters above sea level and is located about 9 km southeast of Fushe Kosova and only two kilometers west of Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari". The castle captures a surrounding area with protective walls of about 1.3 hectares. Archaeological excavations in this fortress started in 2005 and have continued systematically until 2010, but some conservation and consolidation of the walls have been carried out with the aim of protecting and preserving it. During the six-season archaeological excavations, numerous traces of the sacral, profane and utilitarian objects ruins have emerged, such as the entire outer face of the fortification wall of the fortress tower, then the church with three nave and sacristy, and two almost identical structure in the form of a sacral compound loop. Also abundant, portable archeological material such as work tools, jewelery, coins, bricks, glass fragments and architectural structures that specifically emphasize the period of late antiquity, especially that of Justinian's time. Also in this fortress there are indications of prehistoric periods, in particular the time of metals, antiquity and medieval times, as evidence of the continuity of life in the castle.