This settlement, fortified by walls, persisted until the 4th or 3rd century BC. Archaeological findings include half-shelter houses with square bases and flat floors, buried deep beneath the ground.
The Fortress Kale, nestled on the eponymous hill at the heart of Skopje, straddles the left bank of the Vardar River and extends into the western part of the Old Bazaar. Its origins trace back to prehistoric times, around the 4th to 3rd millennium BC, marking a continuous settlement history. This settlement, fortified by walls, persisted until the 4th or 3rd century BC. Archaeological findings include half-shelter houses with square bases and flat floors, buried deep beneath the ground.
The 5th to 6th century BC saw the construction of a new wall around the settlement, with houses of this era featuring quadrangular shapes and wooden beams.
The “Cyclopic walls” were erected in the 11th century, with subsequent developments occurring under the Komnin dynasty and between the 13th and 14th centuries. During the Ottoman period, the fort fell into disuse, with Evlija Celebija providing a detailed description of its state in the 17th century. General Picolomini’s letter to Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg in 1820 noted the fortress’s outdated defense systems and lack of water, making it unsuitable for cavalry.
In the 19th century, the fortress housed warehouses, an arsenal, a military hospital, and a prison, serving a similar purpose until 1951. The 1963 earthquake inflicted significant damage, complicating restoration efforts. The fortress’s reconstruction, including the upgrading of the southwestern wall, was completed in September 2010.
The latest archaeological excavations, initiated on May 14, 2007, involved over 200 professionals, aiming to explore, protect, and restore the fortifications and towers in the southwestern part of the fortress. Like the Stone Bridge, the Kale is recognized as one of Skopje’s symbols, featured prominently on the city’s coat of arms.