shkodër

The city was first attested in classical sources as the capital of the Illyrian kingdom with the name Skodra (Ancient Greek: Σκόδρα, with the ethnonymic genitive {{lang|grc|Σκοδρινῶν}} "of the Skodrians", appearing on 2nd c. BC coins) and Scodra (Latin form).{{cite book |last=Krahe |first=Hans |title=Die alten balkanillyrischen geographischen Namen auf Grund von Autoren und Inschriften |location=Heidelberg |year=1925 |page=36}}e.g. Ptolemy, Geographia II.16.; Polybius, Histories, XXVII.8.{{cite book |title=The Illyrians |first=John |last=Wilkes |isbn=0-631-19807-5 |year=1992 |pages=177–179|publisher=Wiley }}

Although the ultimate origin of the toponym Σκόδρα Scodra is uncertain,{{harvnb|Matzinger|2009a|pp=22–24}}; Albanian translation: {{harvnb|Matzinger|2009b|pp=23–25}}. the name is certainly pre-Roman. A Paleo-Balkan origin has been suggested, relating it to the {{langx|sq|kodër}} (definite form: {{lang|sq|kodra}}) 'hill', and {{langx|ro|codru}} '(wooded) mountain, forest', with the same root as the ancient toponym Codrio/Kodrion.{{cite book|last=Poruciuc|first=Adrian|title=Confluențe și etimologii|year=1998|publisher=Polirom|page=120|language=en|isbn=9789736830402|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDNMAAAAMAAJ}}

The further development of the name has been a subject of discussion in Albanian historical linguistics. Some linguists treat the development from Illyrian Σκόδρα Skodra to Albanian Shkodra/Shkodër as evidence of regular development within the Albanian language. Others have argued that Albanian Shkodra/Shkodër fails to display certain known phonological changes that would have to have happened if the name had been continually in use in Proto-Albanian since pre-Roman times, based on the fact that */sk-/ consonant clusters are usually morphed into a */h-/, and not */ʃk-/, and o is morphed into a, not preserved.{{cite journal |last=Cabej |first=Eqrem |year=1974 |title=Die Frage nach dem Entstehungsgebiet der albanischen Sprache |journal=Zeitschrift für Balkanologie |volume=1012 |pages=7–32}}; cited after Matzinger 2009.{{cite book |last=Demiraj |first=Shaban |title=Prejardhja e shqiptarëve nën dritën e dëshmive të gjuhës shqipe |location=Tirana |year=1999 |pages=143–144}}; cited after Matzinger 2009. However, the phonetic changes sk > h and o > a occurred at an early stage of Proto-Albanian, because they regularly do not involve early Greek and Latin loanwords. Contacts of Albanian with Greek date back as early as the 7th century BC since the foundation of the Greek colonies on the Adriatic coast of Albania, hence those phonetic changes in Proto-Albanian certainly predate the foundation of Skodra (4th century BC) and the usage of its name. On the other hand, the o in Shkodër would postdate first contacts with Latin, because in the earliest Latin loanwords in Albanian the ŏ is rendered as u.{{sfn|Lafe|2022|pp=362–363, 366}} The preservation of ŏ in the Albanian form is to be explained probably because Latin was the predominant language of the Adriatic coastal areas, naturally exercising a significant pressure and influencing the linguistic forms of the local toponyms in Albanian. Similar cases of this process can be seen in the old Albanian toponym Trieshtë, which evolved regularly through Albanian phonetic changes from Trieste, but which was recently replaced in Albanian under strong pressure from Italian into the current name Trieste; and the old Albanian toponym Gjenòvë, which evolved regularly through Albanian phonetic changes form Genova, also featuring the characteristic Albanian accent rule.{{sfn|Lafe|2022|pp=362–363, 366–368}} Nevertheless, the Albanian toponym Shkodër certainly predates the end of the ancient Roman period.{{sfn|Matzinger|2009b|pp=24–25}}{{Cite thesis|last=Curtis|first=Matthew Cowan|title=Slavic-Albanian Language Contact, Convergence, and Coexistence|url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=osu1338406907|publisher=The Ohio State University|year=2012|page=17|access-date=2023-01-29|archive-date=2023-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207075619/https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=osu1338406907|url-status=dead}}Origins: Serbs, Albanians and Vlachs

Chapter 2 in Noel Malcolm's Kosovo, a short history (Macmilan, London, 1998, p. 22-40) - The evidence is in fact very mixed; some of the Albanian forms (of both urban and rural names) suggest transmission via Slav, but others -including the towns of Shkodra, Drisht, Lezha, Shkup (Skopje) and perhaps Shtip (Stip, south-east of Skopje) - follow the pattern of continuous Albanian development from the Latin. [48] (One common objection to this argument, claiming that 'sc-' in Latin should have turned into 'h-', not 'shk-' in Albanian, rests on a chronological error, and can be disregarded.) [49] There are also some fairly convincing derivations of Slav names for rivers in northern Albania - particularly the Bojana (Alb.: Buena) and the Drim (Alb.: Drin) - which suggest that the Slavs must have acquired their names from the Albanian forms. [50

In modern times, the term was adapted to Italian as Scodra ({{IPA|it|ˈskɔːdra}}) and Scutari ({{IPA|it|ˈskuːtari|}}); in this form it was also in wide use in English until the 20th century.Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition (1911), "Scutari" article.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} In Serbo-Croatian, Shkodër is known as Skadar ({{Lang-sh-Cyrl|Скадар}}), and in Turkish as İşkodra.

File:Rozafa Castle.jpg]]

The earliest signs of human activity in the lands of Shkodër can be traced back to the Middle Paleolithic (120,000–30,000 years ago).{{sfn|Tafilica|Baze|Lafe|2023|p=68}} Artifacts and faunal remains provide evidence that the first inhabitants of the area of Shkodër were Pleistocene hunter-gatherers.{{sfn|Tafilica|Baze|Lafe|2023|p=69}} Presence of Neolithic farmers is also testified by artifacts. The Copper and Early Bronze Ages constitute an important watershed for the social evolution on the territories of the eastern Adriatic coast, including Shkodër, with the formation of new cultures and the beginning of new complex historical, ethnogenetic and cultural processes. This period represents for Shkodër the first step of a process of occupation and development. The inhabitants of the intensively settled Shkodër basin produced pottery, practiced agriculture, and manufactured metal tools.{{sfn|Tafilica|Baze|Lafe|2023|p=69}} Shkodra's Early Bronze Age culture bears many similarities with the culture of the Eastern Adriatic coast and its hinterland, like the Cetina culture, and it also has connections with the Early Bronze Age culture of Maliq in southeastern Albania. During the developed Early Bronze Age the new practice of tumulus burials appears, which may be associated to Indo-European migrations from the steppes. During the Middle and Late Bronze Age the settlements in the region and extraregional interactions apparently increased. In the Late Bronze Age the inhabitants of Shkodra basin had contacts with Italy or northwest Greece. By the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age ({{circa}} 1100–800 BC), the formation of a large, cohesive, and quite homogeneous cultural group had already occurred in a well defined territory of the Shkodra region, which was referred in historical sources to as 'the tribe of the Labeatae' in later times.{{sfn|Tafilica|Baze|Lafe|2023|p=70}}

The favorable conditions on the fertile plain, around the lake, have brought people here in early antiquity. Artefacts and inscriptions, discovered in the Rozafa Castle, are assumed to be the earliest examples of symbolic behaviour in humans in the city. Although, it was known under the name Scodra and was inhabited by the Illyrian tribes of the Labeates and Ardiaei, which ruled over a large territory between modern Albania up to Croatia.[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0233:book=28:chapter=8 Polybius][https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0140:book=43:chapter=20 Titus Livius]Encyclopædia Britannica 2002 page 680 King Agron, Queen Teuta and King Gentius, were among the most famous personalities of the Ardiaei.

The city was first mentioned during antiquity as the site of the Illyrian Labeates in which they minted coins and that of Queen Teuta.The Illyrians by John Wilkes, {{ISBN|0-631-19807-5}}, 1992, page 172, "...Gentius among the Labeates around Scodra..." In 168 BC, the city was captured by the Romans and became an important trade and military route. The Romans colonizedThe Illyrians by John Wilkes, page 213, "The list of Roman settlements includes some of the... Scodra..." the town. Scodra remained in the province of Illyricum and, later, Dalmatia. By it 395 AD, it was part of the Diocese of Dacia, within Praevalitana.

After the split of the Roman Empire, Shkodra was taken by the Byzantines.{{Cite book|title=Ditët e mbrame të Turqisë në Shkodër ase Rrethimi i Qytetit 1912-1913|last=Rrota|first=Justin|publisher=Botime Françeskane|year=2010|isbn=9789995678371|location=Shkodër|pages=21|authorlink=Justin Rrota|orig-date=1963}}

In the early 11th century, Jovan Vladimir ruled Duklja amidst the war between Basil II and Samuel. Vladimir allegedly retreated into Koplik when Samuel invaded Duklja and was subsequently forced to accept Bulgarian vassalage. He was later slain by the Bulgarians. Shingjon (feast of Jovan Vladimir) has since been celebrated by Albanian Orthodox Christians.Koti 2006, para. 1, 2

File:Venezia - Ex Scola degli albanesi (sec. XV) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 12-Aug-2007 - 11 - Maometto II assedia Scutari.jpg from the 15th century in Venice]]

In the 1030s, Stefan Vojislav from Travunija, then part of Medieval Serbia,{{cn|date=December 2023}} expelled the last strategos and successfully defeated the Byzantines by 1042. Stefan Vojislav set up Shkodër, as his capital.Fine 1991, p. 206 Constantine Bodin accepted the crusaders of the Crusade of 1101 in Shkodër. After the dynastic struggles in the 12th century, Shkodër became an integral part of the Serbian Nemanjić Zeta province. In 1214 the city was briefly annexed to Despotate of Epirus under Michael I Komnenos Doukas.{{cite book |last1=Fine |first1=John V. A. |last2=Fine |first2=John Van Antwerp |title=The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest |date=1994 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=0472082604 |page=104 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvVbRrH1QBgC |language=en}} In 1330, Stefan Dečanski, King of Serbia, appointed his son Stefan Dušan as the governor of Zeta with its seat in Shkodër.{{cite book |author1=Miladin Stevanović |author2=Vuk Branković (srpski velmoža.) |title=Vuk Branković |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CmMMAQAAMAAJ|access-date=20 April 2013 |year=2004 |publisher=Knjiga-komerc |page=38 |isbn=9788677120382 |quote=После битке код Велбужда млади краљ Душан, чији је углед знатно порастао, добио је од оца на управљање Зету са седиштем у Скадру.}} In the same year Dušan and his father entered the conflict which resulted with campaign of Dečanski who destroyed Dušan's court on Drin River near Shkodër in January 1331. In April 1331, they made a truce,{{cite book |last=Jović |first=Momir |title=Srbija i Rimokatolička crkva u srednjem veku |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d8aQAAAAMAAJ|access-date=21 December 2013 |year=1994 |publisher=Bagdala |page=102 |isbn=9788670871045 |quote=Краљ је у јануару 1331. г. разорио Душанов двор на реци Дримац, код Скадра. Половином априла долази до примирја}} but in August 1331 Dušan went from Shkodër to Nerodimlje and overthrew his father.{{cite book |last=Nikolić |first=Dejan |title=Svi vladari Srbije |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmctAQAAIAAJ|access-date=21 December 2013 |year=1996 |publisher=Narodna biblioteka "Resavska škola" |page=102 |quote=Стефан Душан је августа 1331. крен- уо са својом војском из Скадра и дошао до Стефановог дворца у Неродимљу, где је изненадио оца. Краљ Стефан је једва успео да побегне из свог дворца у град Петрич у коме га је Душанова војска опколила}}

During the disintegration of the Serbian Empire, Shkodër was taken by the Albanian Balshaj family, who surrendered the city to the Republic of Venice in 1396, in order to form a protection zone from the Ottoman Empire. During the Venetian rule the city adopted the Statutes of Scutari, a civic law written in Venetian. The Statutes of Scutari mention Albanian and Slavic presence in the city, but under Venetian rule many Dalmatians were brought to Shkodra and as such formed the majority there. After the Black Death killed most of the inhabitants Albanians and Slavs formed the majority in the city.{{Cite book |last=(Albania) |first=Shkodër |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/723724243 |title=Statutet e Shkodrës : në gjysmën e parë të shekullit XIV me shtesat deri më 1469 = Statuti di Scutari della prima metà del secolo XIV con le addizioni fino al 1469 |date=2010 |publisher=Shtëpia Botuese Onufri |isbn=978-99956-87-36-6 |oclc=723724243}} Venetians built the St. Stephen's Church (later converted into the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque by the Ottomans) and the Rozafa Castle. In 1478-79 Mehmed the conqueror laid siege on Shkodër. In 1479 the city fell to the Ottomans and the defenders of the citadel emigrated to Venice, while many Albanians from the region retreated into the mountains. On the other hand the upper classes of the city, aided by the Jonima family settled in the cities of Ravena, Venice and Treviso. The city then became a seat of a newly established Ottoman sanjak, the Sanjak of Scutari.

File:Statutes of Scutari.png]]

{{Main|Venetian Albania|Sanjak of Scutari|Pashalik of Scutari|Scutari Vilayet}}

File:Ura_e_Mesit_Mbi_Perroin_e_Kirit_07.jpg was built in 1770 and is one of the longest Ottoman bridges in the region.]]

With two sieges, Shkodër became secure as an Ottoman territory. It became the centre of the sanjak and by 1485 there were 27 Muslim and 70 Christian hearths, although by the end of the next century there were more than 200 Muslim ones compared to the 27 Christian ones, respectively.Clayer, Nathalie. " Is̲h̲ḳodra." Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill Online, 2012. Reference. 2 January 2012

Military manoeuvres in 1478 by the Ottomans meant that the city was again entirely surrounded by Ottoman forces. Mehmed II personally laid the siege. About ten heavy cannons were cast on site. Balls as heavy as {{cvt|380|kg|0}} were fired on the citadel (such balls are still on display on the castle museum). Nevertheless, the city resisted. Mehmed left the field and had his commanders continue the siege. By the winter the Ottomans had captured one after the other all adjacent castles: Lezhë, Drisht and Žabljak Crnojevića. This, together with famine and constant bombardment lowered the morale of defenders. On the other hand, the Ottomans were already frustrated by the stubborn resistance. The castle is situated on a naturally protected hill and every attempted assault resulted in considerable casualties for the attackers. A truce became an option for both parties. On January 25 an agreement between the Venetians and the Ottoman Empire ended the siege, permitting the citizens to leave unharmed, and the Ottomans to take over the deserted city.

File:Shkoder Medieval engraving.jpg

File:Skódra - Lear Edward - 1851.jpg: Albanians smoking by the river Drin, with the Rozafa Castle and the Lead Mosque in the background, 4 October 1848{{cite web|editor-last=Elsie|editor-first=Robert |title=Albania in the Painting of Edward Lear (1848) |url=http://www.albanianart.net/painting/lear/lear013.htm |website=albanianart.net}}]]

After Ottoman domination was secure, much of the population fled. Around the 17th century, the city began to prosper as the centre of the Sanjak of Scutari (sanjak was an Ottoman administrative unit smaller than a vilayet). It became the economic centre of northern Albania, its craftsmen producing fabric, silk, arms and silver artifacts. Construction included two-storey stone houses, the souk, and the Central or Middle Bridge (Ura e Mesit) over the Kir river, built during the second half of the 18th century, over {{cvt|100|m}} long, with 13 arcs of stone, the largest one being {{cvt|22|m}} wide and {{cvt|12|m}} tall.

File:Shkodër Cathedral construction.jpg in 1867]]

Shkodër was a major city under Ottoman rule in southeast Europe. It retained its importance up until the end of the empire's rule in the Balkans in the early 20th century. This is due to its geo-strategic position that connects it directly with the Adriatic and with the Italian ports, but also with land-routes to the other important Ottoman centre, namely Prizren. The city was an important meeting place of diverse cultures from other parts of the Empire, as well as influences coming westwards, by Italian merchants. It was a centre of Islam in the region, producing many ulama, poets and administrators, particularly from the Bushati family.

In the 18th century Shkodër became the centre of the (pashaluk) of Shkodër, under the rule of the Bushati family, which ruled from 1757 to 1831.

In 1737, 178 Catholic families were recorded in Shkodër, all of them Albanian.{{Cite web |url=http://www.shkoder.net/zip/kmsh.pdf |title=Gjush Sheldija (1902 - 1976) Kryeipeshkvia Metropolitane e Shkodrës dhe Dioqezat Sufragane (shënime) }}

Shkodër's importance as a trade centre in the second half of the 19th century was owed to the fact that it was the centre of the vilayet of Shkodër, and an important trading centre for the entire Balkan peninsula. It had over 3,500 shops, and clothing, leather, tobacco and gunpowder were some of the major products of Shkodër. A special administration was established to handle trade, a trade court, and a directorate of postage services with other countries. Other countries had opened consulates in Shkodër ever since 1718. Obot and Ulcinj served as ports for Shkodër, and, later on, Shëngjin (San Giovanni di Medua). The Jesuit seminary and the Franciscan committee were opened in the 19th century.

Following the rebellion of Mustafa Pasha Bushatlliu Shkodër was sieged by the Ottomans for more than six months who finally managed to break the Albanian resistance on 10 November 1831. In 1833 around 4,000 Albanian rebels seized the town again holding off the Ottoman forces between April and December and even sending a delegation to Istanbul until the Ottoman government finally gave in to their terms giving an end to the rebellion.

Before 1867 Shkodër (İşkodra) was a sanjak of Rumelia Eyalet in Ottoman Empire. In 1867, Shkodër sanjak merged with Skopje (Üsküp) sanjak and became Shkodër vilayet. Shkodër vilayet was split into Shkodër, Prizren and Dibra sanjaks. In 1877, Prizren passed to Kosovo vilayet and Debar passed to Monastir vilayet, while Durrës township became a sanjak. In 1878 Bar and Podgorica townships belonged to Montenegro. Ottoman-Albanian intellectual Sami Frashëri during the 1880s estimated the population of Shkodër as numbering 37,000 inhabitants that consisted of three quarters being Muslims and the rest Christians made up of mostly Catholics and a few hundred Orthodox.{{cite book |last=Gawrych |first=George |title=The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874–1913 |year=2006 |location=London |publisher=IB Tauris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wPOtzk-unJgC&q=The+crescent+and+the+eagle:+Ottoman+rule,+Islam+and+the+Albanians,+1874-1913+lexicon |isbn=9781845112875 |pages=29, 217}} In 1900, Shkodër vilayet was split into Shkodër and Durrës sanjaks.

{{Main|Siege of Scutari (1912–1913)}}

File:BASA-3K-7-411-113-First Balkan War.jpg]]

Shkodër played an important role during the League of Prizren, the Albanian liberation movement. The people of Shkodër participated in battles to protect Albanian land. The branch of the League of Prizren for Shkodër, which had its own armed unit, fought for the protection of Plav, Gusinje, Hoti and Gruda, and the war for the protection of Ulcinj. The Bushati Library, built during the 1840s, served as a centre for the League of Prizren's branch for Shkodër. Many books were collected in libraries of Catholic missionaries working in Shkodër. Literary, cultural and sports associations were formed, such as Bashkimi ("The Union") and Agimi ("The Dawn"). The first Albanian newspapers and publications printed in Albania came out of the printing press of Shkodër. The Marubi family of photographers began working in Shkodër, which left behind over 150,000 negatives from the period of the Albanian liberation movement, the rise of the Albanian flag in Vlorë, and life in Albanian towns during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

During the Balkan Wars, Shkodër went from one occupation to another, when the Ottomans were defeated by the Kingdom of Montenegro. The Ottoman forces led by Hasan Riza Pasha and Esad Pasha had resisted for seven months the siege of the town by Montenegrin forces and their Serbian allies. Esad (Hasan had previously been mysteriously killed by Essad Toptani in an ambush inside the town) finally surrendered to Montenegro in April 1913, after Montenegro suffered a high death toll with more than 10,000 casualties. Edith Durham also notes the cruelties suffered at the hand of Montenegrins in the wake of October 1913: "Thousands of refugees arriving from Djakovo and neighbourhood. Victims of Montenegro. My position was indescribably painful, for I had no funds left, and women came to me crying: 'If you will not feed my child, throw it in the river. I cannot see it starve.'"Twenty Years of Balkan Tangle: M. Edith Durham Montenegro was compelled to leave the city to the new country of Albania in May 1913, in accordance with the London Conference of Ambassadors.

During World War I, Montenegrin forces again occupied Shkodër on 27 June 1915. In January 1916, Shkodër was taken over by Austria-Hungary and was the centre of the zone of their occupation. When the war ended on 11 November 1918, French forces occupied Shkodër as well as other regions with sizable Albanian populations. After World War I, the international military administration of Albania was temporarily located in Shkodër, and in March 1920, Shkodër was put under the administration of the national government of Tirana. In the second half of 1920, during the Serbian-Albanian War, Shkodër resisted the Serbian invasion under the lead of Sylço Bushati and financial aid provided by notable figures such as Musa Juka.{{Cite book|title=Kujtime 1885-1925|last=Vlora|first=Eqrem bej|publisher=IDK|year=2003|isbn=99927-780-6-7|location=Tiranë|pages=456}}

Shkodër was the centre of democratic movements of the years 1921–1924. The democratic opposition won the majority of votes for the Constitutional Assembly, and on 31 May 1924, the democratic forces took over the town and from Shkodër headed to Tirana. From 1924 to 1939, Shkodër had a slow industrial development, small factories that produced food, textile and cement were opened. From 43 of such in 1924, the number rose to 70 in 1938. In 1924, Shkodër had 20,000 inhabitants, the number grew to 29,000 in 1938. During September 1928, Albania was proclaimed a monarchy by King Zog I. He was a self-made Muslim monarch and the king of all Albanians until 1939 when Italy invaded Albania, Shkoder resisted under the lead of Mehmet Ullagaj but fell soon afterwards.{{Cite book|title=Shkodranët e 7 prillit dhe të 29 nëntorit|last=Juka|first=Gëzim H.|publisher=Reklama|year=2018|isbn=9789928440358|location=Tiranë|pages=20, 22}} After 1939, Zog went into exile and Victor Emmanuel III became the king of the Albanians. Shortly after World War II, Emmanuel was formally abdicated in 1946. In 1945, Enver Hoxha established communism in Albania.{{Cite book |last=Tomes |first=Jason |title=King Zog of Albania : Europe's Self-Made Muslim Monarch |publisher=New York University Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-8147-8283-3 |location=New York, NY |pages=100–233 |language=English}}

Shkodër was the seat of a Catholic archbishopric and had a number of religious schools. The first laic school was opened here in 1913, and the State Gymnasium was opened in 1922. It was the centre of many cultural associations. In sports Shkodër was the first city in Albania to constitute a sports association, the "Vllaznia" (brotherhood). Vllaznia Shkodër is the oldest sport club in Albania.

During the early 1990s, Shkodër was once again a major centre, this time of the democratic movement that finally brought to an end the communist regime established by Enver Hoxha. In the later 2000s (decade), the city experiences a rebirth as main streets are being paved, buildings painted and streets renamed. In December 2010, Shkodër and the surrounding region was hit by probably the worst flooding in the last 100 years.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11931554 |work=BBC News |title=Nato joins Albania rescue effort after Balkan floods |date=6 December 2010}} In 2011, a new swing bridge over the Buna was constructed, thus replacing the old bridge nearby.

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File:2013-10-03 View from Rozafa Castle, Shkodër 0269.jpg and overlooking the Albanian Alps in the background]]

File:Dringolf.png and nearby lagoons]]

Shkodër extends strategically on the Mbishkodra Plain between the Lake of Shkodër and the foothills of the Albanian Alps, which forms the southern continuation of the Dinaric Alps. The northeast of the city is dominated by Mount Maranaj standing at {{cvt|1576|m}} above the Adriatic. Shkodër is trapped on three sides by Kir in the east, Drin in the south and Buna in the west. Rising from the Lake of Shkodër, Buna flows into the Adriatic Sea, forming the border with Montenegro. The river joins the Drin for approximately {{cvt|2|km}} southwest of the city. In the east, Shkodër is bordered by Kir, which originates from the north flowing also into the Drin, that surrounds Shkodër in the south. The area of the municipality of Shkodër is {{Cvt|872.71|km2}};{{cite web |publisher=Porta Vendore |title=Pasaporta e Bashkisë Shkodër |url=https://portavendore.al/bashkia-shkoder/pasaporta-e-bashkise-shkoder/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924131334/https://portavendore.al/bashkia-shkoder/pasaporta-e-bashkise-shkoder/ |archive-date=24 September 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}{{cite web |publisher=Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM) |title=Bashkia Shkoder |url=https://aam.org.al/en/bashkia-shkoder/ |access-date=12 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012194101/https://aam.org.al/en/bashkia-shkoder/ |archive-date=12 October 2020}} the area of the municipal unit of Shkodër (the city proper) is {{Cvt|16.46|km2}}.{{cite web |publisher=Bashkia Shkodër |title=Profili i Bashkisë Shkodër |url=http://www.bashkiashkoder.gov.al/web/profili_i_bashkise_2703.pdf |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924132540/http://www.bashkiashkoder.gov.al/web/profili_i_bashkise_2703.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2021 |page=6 |language=sq |url-status=live}}

Lake Shkodër lies in the west of the city and forms the frontier of Albania and Montenegro. The lake became the symbol of the stable and consistent economic and social divide of the city. Although, the lake is the largest lake in Southern Europe and an important habitat for various animal and plant species. Further, the Albanian section has been designated as a nature reserve. In 1996, it also has been recognised as a wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention.{{cite web |url=http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/sitelist.pdf |title=The list of wetlands of international importance |last=Ramsar |date=August 4, 2010 |publisher=Ramsar |page=5 |language=en, es|access-date=14 August 2010}} Buna connects the lake with the Adriatic Sea, while the Drin provides a link with Lake Ohrid in the southeast of Albania.Pešić V. & Glöer P. (2013). "A new freshwater snail genus (Hydrobiidae, Gastropoda) from Montenegro, with a discussion on gastropod diversity and endemism in Skadar Lake". ZooKeys 281: 69-90. {{doi|10.3897/zookeys.281.4409}} It is a cryptodepression, filled by the river Morača and drained into the Adriatic by the {{Convert|41|km|mi|-long|adj=mid}} Buna.

Shköder has a borderline hot-summer Mediterranean (Köppen: Csa) and humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa) climate.{{cite web |title=Bashkia e Shkodrës |url=http://www.flag-al.org/Flag-AL_ORG_files/strategic%20plans/Shkodra%20Alb.pdf |website=flag-al.org |page=28 |language=sq}} Mean monthly temperature ranges between {{cvt|1.8|C}} to {{cvt|10.3|C}} in January and {{cvt|20.2|C}} to {{cvt|33.6|C}} in August. The average yearly precipitation is about {{cvt|1500|mm|1}}, which makes the area one of the wettest in Europe.

{{Weather box

|width =

|location = Shkodër (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

| Jan record high C = 18.6

| Feb record high C = 27.6

| Mar record high C = 29.0

| Apr record high C = 30.5

| May record high C = 34.5

| Jun record high C = 38.2

| Jul record high C = 41.5

| Aug record high C = 42.6

| Sep record high C = 37.6

| Oct record high C = 31.0

| Nov record high C = 25.0

| Dec record high C = 21.7

| year record high C = 42.6

| Jan avg record high C = 15.2

| Feb avg record high C = 18.3

| Mar avg record high C = 22.5

| Apr avg record high C = 26.3

| May avg record high C = 30.1

| Jun avg record high C = 34.8

| Jul avg record high C = 37.4

| Aug avg record high C = 38.1

| Sep avg record high C = 32.9

| Oct avg record high C = 27.7

| Nov avg record high C = 22.3

| Dec avg record high C = 16.7

|year avg record high C = 38.5

|Jan high C = 10.3

|Feb high C = 12.4

|Mar high C = 15.8

|Apr high C = 19.5

|May high C = 24.4

|Jun high C = 29.3

|Jul high C = 32.9

|Aug high C = 33.6

|Sep high C = 27.7

|Oct high C = 22.1

|Nov high C = 16.1

|Dec high C = 11.3

|year high C = 21.4

|Jan mean C = 6.1

|Feb mean C = 7.9

|Mar mean C = 11.0

|Apr mean C = 14.5

|May mean C = 19.0

|Jun mean C = 23.3

|Jul mean C = 26.0

|Aug mean C = 26.9

|Sep mean C = 21.9

|Oct mean C = 16.9

|Nov mean C = 11.8

|Dec mean C = 7.5

|year mean C = 16.2

|Jan low C = 1.8

|Feb low C = 3.3

|Mar low C = 6.1

|Apr low C = 9.4

|May low C = 13.4

|Jun low C = 17.2

|Jul low C = 19.1

|Aug low C = 20.2

|Sep low C = 16.0

|Oct low C = 11.7

|Nov low C = 7.6

|Dec low C = 3.7

|year low C = 10.9

| Jan avg record low C = -3.5

| Feb avg record low C = -1.8

| Mar avg record low C = 0.7

| Apr avg record low C = 3.9

| May avg record low C = 9.0

| Jun avg record low C = 11.3

| Jul avg record low C = 14.9

| Aug avg record low C = 15.8

| Sep avg record low C = 10.5

| Oct avg record low C = 6.2

| Nov avg record low C = 0.9

| Dec avg record low C = -1.6

|year avg record low C = -4.5

| Jan record low C = -13.0

| Feb record low C = -12.4

| Mar record low C = -5.1

| Apr record low C = -0.6

| May record low C = 3.6

| Jun record low C = 2.0

| Jul record low C = 8.9

| Aug record low C = 10.6

| Sep record low C = 6.0

| Oct record low C = -0.1

| Nov record low C = -5.4

| Dec record low C = -9.6

| year record low C = -13.0

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 130.3

| Feb precipitation mm = 138.3

| Mar precipitation mm = 140.1

| Apr precipitation mm = 127.2

| May precipitation mm = 82.9

| Jun precipitation mm = 35.8

| Jul precipitation mm = 42.7

| Aug precipitation mm = 37.5

| Sep precipitation mm = 161.8

| Oct precipitation mm = 167.7

| Nov precipitation mm = 212.5

| Dec precipitation mm = 188.0

| year precipitation mm = 1471.5

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 9.31

| Feb precipitation days = 9.63

| Mar precipitation days = 10.65

| Apr precipitation days = 10.04

| May precipitation days = 9.02

| Jun precipitation days = 4.20

| Jul precipitation days = 3.41

| Aug precipitation days = 3.90

| Sep precipitation days = 7.36

| Oct precipitation days = 9.23

| Nov precipitation days = 11.90

| Dec precipitation days = 10.76

| year precipitation days = 99.40

| Jan humidity = na

| year humidity = 72.0

| Jan sun = na

| year sun = 2369.2

| Jan snow days = na

| year snow days = 5.0

|source 1 = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA){{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/AB/13622.TXT

| title = Shkodër (13622) - WMO Weather Station

| access-date = 26 June 2022

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)}}

|source 2 = meteo-climat-bzh{{cite web |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1991-2020-1-p3.php |title= moyennes 1991/2020}}{{cite web |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=729 |title=STATION SHKODRA}}

|date = November 2015}}

Shkodër is a municipality governed by a mayor–council system with the mayor of Shkodër and the members of Shkodër Municipal Council responsible for the administration of Shkodër Municipality. The municipality is encompassed in Shkodër County within the Northern Region of Albania and consists of the administrative units of Ana e Malit, Bërdicë, Dajç, Guri i Zi, Postribë, Pult, Rrethinat, Shalë, Shosh, Velipojë and Shkodër as its seat.{{cite web |publisher=Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT) |title=A new Urban–Rural Classification of Albanian Population |url=https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114101641/https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2019 |page=15 |date=May 2014}}{{cite web |url=https://www.vendime.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/137-2014.pdf |title=Law nr. 115/2014 |language=sq |pages=6374–6375|access-date=25 February 2022 }}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Albania}}

Shkodër is twinned with:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|MNE}} Cetinje, Montenegro{{cite web |title=Partnerski gradovi |url=http://www.cetinje.me/cetinje/site_mne/public/index.php/index/artikli?id=40 |website=cetinje.me |publisher=Cetinje |language=cnr|access-date=2021-03-09}}
• {{flagicon|CRO}} Knin, Croatia{{cite web |title=Gradovi prijatelji |url=http://www.knin.hr/gradovi-prijatelji/ |website=knin.hr |publisher=Knin |language=hr|access-date=2021-03-09}}
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Pécs, Hungary{{cite web |title=Binjakëzim mes Shkodrës dhe qytetit Pec në Hungari |url=https://ata.gov.al/2018/10/12/binjakezim-mes-shkodres-dhe-qytetit-pec-ne-hungari/ |website=ata.gov.al |publisher=Agjencia Telegrafike Shqiptare |language=sq |date=2018-10-12 |access-date=2021-03-09 |archive-date=2020-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113062312/https://ata.gov.al/2018/10/12/binjakezim-mes-shkodres-dhe-qytetit-pec-ne-hungari/ |url-status=dead }}
• {{flagicon|TUR}} Üsküdar, Turkey{{cite web |title=Kardeş Şehirler |url=https://www.uskudar.bel.tr/tr/main/pages/yurt-disi/23 |website=uskudar.bel.tr |publisher=Üsküdar |language=tr |accessdate=2020-02-11}}
• {{flagicon|TUR}} Zeytinburnu, Turkey{{cite web |title=Zeytinburnu Belediyesi Yurt Dışı Kardeş Belediyeleri |url=http://www.zeytinburnu.istanbul/zeytinburnu-belediyesi-yurt-disi-kardes-belediyeleri |website=zeytinburnu.istanbul |publisher=Zeytinburnu |language=tr|access-date=2021-03-09}}

{{div col end}}

The main activities of the processing industry in Shkodra were the processing of tobacco and manufacture of cigarettes, production of preserved foods, sugar-based foods, soft and alcoholic drinks, and pasta, bread, rice and vegetable oil. The main activities of the textile industry were focused on garments and silk products. The city also had a wood-processing and paper-production plant. The most important mechanical engineering industries concerned wire manufacturing, elevator manufacturing, bus assembly and the Drini Plant.{{Cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLED/Resources/339650-1122490529659/Shkodra.pdf|title=Welcome to World Bank Intranet}}

According to the World Bank, Shkodër has had significant steps of improving the economy in recent years. In 2016, Shkodër ranked 8{{Cite web|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/Rankings/south-east-europe|title = Economy}} among 22 cities in southeastern Europe.

As the largest city in northern Albania, the city is the main road connection between the Albanian capital, Tirana and Montenegrin capital Podgorica. The SH1 leads to the Albanian–Montenegrin border at Han i Hotit border crossing. From Tirana at the Kamza Bypass northward, it passes through Fushë-Kruja, Milot, Lezha, Shkodra and Koplik. The road segment between Hani i Hotit at the Montenegrin border and Shkodra was completed in 2013 as a single carriageway standard. Shkodër Bypass started after the 2010 Albania floods. It was planned to incorporate a defensive dam against Shkodër Lake but works were abandoned a few years later. The road continues as a single carriageway down to Milot and contains some uncontrolled and dangerous entry and exit points. The SH5 starts from Shkodër to Morinë.

{{Historical populations

| align = right

|1918|22,631

|1923|23,784

|1930|29,209

|1950|33638| source ={{cite book |last1=Hemming |first1=Andreas |last2=Kera |first2=Gentiana |last3=Pandelejmoni |first3=Enriketa |title=Albania: Family, Society and Culture in the 20th Century |date=2012 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |isbn=9783643501448 |page=51 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HfpTqhlsCtMC&q=shkod%C3%ABr |access-date=16 September 2021 }}{{cite book |last=Pandelejmoni |first=Enriketa |title=Shkodra Family and Urban Life (1918 - 1939) |date=30 November 2021 |publisher=LIT Verlag |isbn=9783643910172 |pages=76–77 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srbLDwAAQBAJ&q=shkoder+population |access-date=16 September 2021 }}{{cite web |title=Cities of Albania|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/albania-cities.htm}}

|1960|43305|1969|52200|1979|65000|1989|81140|2001|83598|2011|77075|2023|61633}}

Shkodër is the fourth-most-populous city and fifth-most-populous municipality in Albania. As of the 2011 census, the municipal unit of Shkodër had an estimated population of 77,075 of whom 37,630 were men and 39,445 women.{{cite web |last=Nurja |first=Ines |publisher=Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) |title=Censusi i popullsisë dhe banesave/ Population and Housing Census–Shkodër (2011) |url=http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3068/10__shkoder.pdf |access-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826201949/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3068/10__shkoder.pdf |archive-date=26 August 2020 |location=Tirana |page=85}} The population of the municipality was 135,612 in 2011.{{efn|name=fn1|The municipality of Shkodër consists of the administrative units of Ana e Malit, Bërdicë, Dajç, Guri i Zi, Postribë, Pult, Rrethinat, Shalë, Shosh, Velipojë and Shkodër.{{cite web |publisher=Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT) |title=A new Urban–Rural Classification of Albanian Population |url=https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114101641/https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2019 |page=15 |date=May 2014}}{{cite web |publisher=Fletorja Zyrtare e Republikës së Shqipërisë |title=Law nr. 115/2014 |url=https://www.reformaterritoriale.al/images/presentations/Ligji%20ndarja%20territoriale_Fletore_zyrtare.pdf |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085559/https://www.reformaterritoriale.al/images/presentations/Ligji%20ndarja%20territoriale_Fletore_zyrtare.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2015 |page=98 |language=sq}} The population of the municipality results from the sum of the listed administrative units in the former as of the 2011 Albanian census.{{cite web |last=Nurja |first=Ines |publisher=Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) |title=Censusi i popullsisë dhe banesave/ Population and Housing Census–Shkodër (2011) |url=http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3068/10__shkoder.pdf |access-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826201949/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3068/10__shkoder.pdf |archive-date=26 August 2020 |location=Tirana |page=85}}}}

The city of Shkodër was one of the most important centres for Islamic scholars and cultural and literary activity in Albania. Here stands the site of the only institution in Albania which provides high-level education in Arabic, Turkish and Islamic Studies.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RGmzir-ITtUC&q=Islam+in+the+Balkans:+Religion+and+Society+Between+Europe+and+the+Arab+World |title=Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society Between Europe and the Arab World |last=Norris |first=H. T |date=1993 |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |location=Columbia, South Carolina |page=76 |isbn=0-87249-977-4 |access-date= 2016-05-12}} Shkodër is the centre of Roman Catholicism in Albania. The Roman Catholic Church is represented in Shkodër by the episcopal seat of the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult (Scutari-Pulati) in Shkodër Cathedral, with the current seat of the prelacy.

File:Vieille ville - Musée Marubi (53100307908).jpg on the Kolë Idromeno Street.]]

Shkodër is referred to as the capital and cultural cradle of northern Albania, also known as Gegëria, for having been the birthplace and home of notable individuals, who among others contributed to the Albanian Renaissance.{{cite book |last1=Otten |first1=Karl |last2=Otten |first2=Ellen |title=Die Reise durch Albanien und andere Prosa |year=1989 |publisher=Arche Verlag |isbn=978-3716020852 |page=175 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbEyAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Hauptstadt+Nordalbaniens%22++Shkodra&pg=PA175 |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015172732/https://books.google.de/books?id=CbEyAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA175&q=%22Hauptstadt+Nordalbaniens%22++Shkodra |archive-date=15 October 2021 |url-status=live}} Most of the inhabitants of Shkodër speak a distinctive dialect of northwestern Gheg Albanian that differs from other Albanian dialects.{{cite web |last=Elsie |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Elsie |title=Albanian Dialects: Introduction |url=http://dialects.albanianlanguage.net/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016125248/http://dialects.albanianlanguage.net/ |archive-date=16 October 2021 |access-date=16 October 2021}} Shkodër has also a long tradition in the development of the urban music of Albania, marked by a characteristic use of instrumentation and a style of composition.{{cite web |last=Shetuni |first=Spiro J. |publisher=McFarland & Company |title=Albanian Traditional Music An Introduction, with Sheet Music and Lyrics for 48 Songs |url=https://www.galabri.com/foto/vallekeng/pdf/musicshetuni.pdf |access-date=16 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226021850/https://www.galabri.com/foto/vallekeng/pdf/musicshetuni.pdf |archive-date=26 December 2017 |pages=6263 |url-status=usurped}}

Rozafa Castle has played an instrumental role in Shkodër's history as the residence of Illyrian monarchs and a military stronghold.{{cite web |publisher=Lonely Planet |title=Rozafa Fortress |url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/northern-albania/shkodra/attractions/rozafa-fortress/a/poi-sig/1252378/358544 |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015211450/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/northern-albania/shkodra/attractions/rozafa-fortress/a/poi-sig/1252378/358544 |archive-date=15 October 2021 |url-status=live}} Located in the south of Shkodër, its foundations are associated with a legend about a woman who sacrificed herself so the castle could be constructed.{{cite book |title=In Her Footsteps |date=February 2020 |publisher=Lonely Planet Global Limited |isbn=978-1838690670 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O6TNDwAAQBAJ&dq=legend+of+rozafa&pg=PT527 |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015212216/https://www.google.de/books/edition/In_Her_Footsteps/O6TNDwAAQBAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&dq=legend+of+rozafa&pg=PT527&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=15 October 2021 |url-status=live}} Historical Museum of Shkodër is the most important museum in Shkodër and was founded to protect artefacts from all over the region of Shkodër, thus displaying their cultural and historical value.{{cite web |publisher=Historical Museum of Shkodër |title=The Museum: History |url=https://muzeuhistorikshkoder.org/museum/history/?lang=en |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018061305/http://muzeuhistorikshkoder.org/museum/history/?lang=en |archive-date=18 October 2020 |url-status=live}} It is housed inside a monumental mansion from the 19th century, collectively known as the house of Oso Kuka. The expanded Marubi National Museum of Photography located on the Kolë Idromeno Street displays an extensive visual collection of Albanian social, cultural and political life beginning from 1850 on its galleries.{{cite web |publisher=Marubi National Museum of Photography |title=About us |url=https://marubi.gov.al/about-us |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015171011/https://marubi.gov.al/about-us |archive-date=15 October 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |publisher=Lonely Planet |title=Marubi National Photography Museum |url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/northern-albania/shkodra/attractions/marubi-national-photography-museum/a/poi-sig/1252361/358544 |access-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015203908/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/northern-albania/shkodra/attractions/marubi-national-photography-museum/a/poi-sig/1252361/358544 |archive-date=15 October 2021 |url-status=live}}

Shkodër's architecture and urban development are historically and culturally significant for northern Albania. It was and is inhabited by many people of different cultures and religions with many of them leaving mark of their cultural heritage. The Ebu Beker Mosque, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque, Franciscan Church, Lead Mosque, Nativity Cathedral and St. Stephen's Cathedral are the most eminent religious buildings of Shkodër. Other major monuments include the Drisht Castle, Mesi Bridge and ruins of Shurdhah Island.

The Vllaznia club is a professional Albanian football team dedicated to Shkodër. It is one of the most well-known teams in Albania.

The electronic music duo Shkodra Elektronike takes its name from the city of Shkodër. They are representing Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "Zjerm". The city is the hometown of both members.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-23 |title=Albania: Shkodra Elektronike to Eurovision 2025 with "Zjerm" |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/albania-shkodra-elektronike-to-eurovision-2025-with-zjerm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Eurovisionworld |language=en-gb}}

• List of settlements in Illyria
• List of mayors of Shkodër
• List of people from Shkodër

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

• {{cite book |last=Wilkes |first=John |title=The Illyrians |date=9 January 1996 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=9780631198079 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&q=scupi+dardania+roman+illyria |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120214120/https://books.google.de/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=scupi+dardania+roman+illyria&hl=en&ei=AhJQTv3ENJGF-wbNnqTuBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y |archive-date=20 November 2020}}
• {{cite book |editor1=Piotr Dyczek |editor2=Krzysztof Jakubiak |editor3=Adam Lajtar |publisher=University of Warsaw Press |title=Ex Oriente Lux. Studies in Honour of Jolanta Młynarczyk |chapter=Rhizon–capital of the Illyrian kingdom–some remarks |date=2020 |pages=423–433}}
• {{cite book |author=John Van Antwerp Fine Jr. |title=The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century |date=1991 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=9780472081493 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0NBxG9Id58C |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120213640/https://books.google.de/books/about/The_Early_Medieval_Balkans.html?id=Y0NBxG9Id58C&redir_esc=y |archive-date=20 November 2020}}
• {{cite web |last=Koti |first=Isidor |publisher=Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania |title=Celebration of Saint John Vladimir in Elbasan |url=http://www.orthodoxalbania.org/English/News%20and%20Publications/pascha/stjohnvlad.htm |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716144202/http://www.orthodoxalbania.org/English/News%20and%20Publications/pascha/stjohnvlad.htm |archive-date=16 July 2011}}
• {{cite book|last=Lafe|first=Genc|chapter=I rapporti tra toponimi e voci ereditate dell'albanese sulla base dell'analisi della loro evoluzione fonetica|title=Albanologu i arvanitëve "Atje kam u shpirtin tim..."|editor=Shaban Sinani |editor2=Francesco Altimari |editor3=Matteo Mandalà|publisher=Academy of Sciences of Albania|year=2022|isbn=978-9928-339-74-4|pages=355–370}}
• {{cite book |last=Matzinger |first=Joachim |chapter=Die Albaner als Nachkommen der Illyrer aus der Sicht der historischen Sprachwissenschaft |title=Albanische Geschichte: Stand und Perspektiven der Forschung|editor1-last=Schmitt|editor1-first=Oliver Jens|editor2-last=Frantz|editor2-first=Eva Anne |location=Munich |publisher=Oldenbourg |year=2009a|language=de}}
• {{Cite book|last=Matzinger|first=Joachim|title=Historia e Shqiptarëve: Gjendja dhe perspektivat e studimeve|year=2009b|publisher=Botime Përpjekja|isbn=978-99943-0-254-3|editor-last1=Schmitt|editor-first1=Oliver Jens|editor-last2=Frantz|editor-first2=Eva Anne|translator=Pandeli Pani and Artan Puto|language=sq|chapter=Shqiptarët si pasardhës të ilirëve nga këndvështrimi i gjuhësisë historike}}
• {{cite book|last=Sedlar|first=Jean W.|title=East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000-1500|publisher=University of Washington Press|year=2013|isbn=9780295800646|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4NYTCgAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite journal |last=Shpuza |first=Saimir|editor-last=Dyczek|editor-first=Piotr |title=Iron Age Fortifications and the Origin of the City in the Territory of Scodra |journal=Novensia |volume=25 |publisher=Ośrodek Badań nad Antykiem Europy Południowo-Wschodniej |year=2014 |place=Warszawa |isbn=978-83-934239-96 |issn=0860-5777 |pages=105–126}}
• {{cite book |last1=Shpuza |first1=Saimir |last2=Dyczek |first2=Piotr |title=L'Illyrie Méridionale et l'Épire dans l'Antiquité – VI |chapter=Scodra, de la capitale du Royaume Illyrien à la capitale de la province romaine |editor1=Jean-Luc Lamboley |editor2=Luan Përzhita |editor3=Altin Skenderaj |volume=1 |publisher=Diffusion De Boccard |year=2015 |place=Paris |language=fr |isbn=978-9928-4517-1-2 |pages=269–278}}
• {{cite journal |last=Shpuza |first=Saimir|editor-last=Dyczek|editor-first=Piotr |title=Scodra and the Labeates. Cities, rural fortifications and territorial defense in the Hellenistic period |journal=Novensia |volume=28 |publisher=Ośrodek Badań nad Antykiem Europy Południowo-Wschodniej |year=2017 |place=Warszawa |isbn=978-83-946222-5-1 |issn=0860-5777 |pages=41–64}}
• {{cite book|last1=Tafilica|first1=Zamir|last2=Baze|first2=Ermal|last3=Lafe|first3=Ols|editor-last1=Galaty|editor-first1=Michael L.|editor-last2=Bejko|editor-first2=Lorenc|title=Archaeological Investigations in a Northern Albanian Province: Results of the Projekti Arkeologjik i Shkodrës (PASH): Volume One: Survey and Excavation Results|chapter=Historical Background|publisher=University of Michigan Press|year=2023|volume=64|series=Memoirs Series|isbn=9781951538736|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pw_UEAAAQBAJ}}

{{refend}}

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