Dorezi Castle, Tirana

Dorëzi Castle or Dorze Castle is a monument of cultural heritage near the village of Dorëzi in the district of Tirana. This monument was approved in January 1963. This fortress represents the only urban center of the Tirana basin, known by the locals as Qyteze.
Different opinions have been expressed regarding the time of construction, on the age of Dorzi Castle:

• In the Albanian encyclopedic dictionary of 1985 for this castle with great historical values, it is written that it was built around the 6th century BC by the Illyrians.

• In the work of the American researcher Edvin Xhak, very interesting information is given about the Castle of Dorzi. It is dated to have been built by the Pelasgians, our ancestors, around 1500-1000 BC.

The first archaeological expedition for the castle was carried out in 1951. The ruins of the castle cover one of the highest areas in the range of hills separated from the Krraba mountains, at an altitude of 479 m above sea level. It is thought that the ancient town of Dimal was located here.
The castle is built on a steep plateau, where part of it is surrounded by a wall and the rest is protected by natural rock. The surrounding wall is approximately 300 m long. This castle carries great cultural values in terms of construction techniques. The stones in Dorzi Castle are placed one on top of the other, without joints or mortar.