Ulpiana

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Wall at the Ulpiana excavation site. Photo taken 06 July 2007.

Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city in the Balkans and a capital of the historic region of Dardania. The city is also referred to in the Balkans as Moesia.

Procopius teaches us that " He(Justinian)rebuilt all the falling walls of the city (Ulpiana)and after he decorated them with a spendour, he gave them the beauty of the present day and called them "Justiniana Secunda"

Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipljan in Serbian province of Kosovo. It was founded in the 2nd century during the rule of Emperor Trajan and renewed in the 6th century during the rule of Justinian, after whom it was called Iustiana Secunda. Remains of this city - destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history, with basilica, mosaics, and tombstones - have been unearthed west of Gračanica. In the early Christian period, Ulpiana was an important episcopal center. A number of articles were discovered here such as coins, ceramics, weapons, jewelery, and similar.

The remains of the city, only partially excavated, are situated approximately 1.3 kilometers west of Gračanica, immeadiately to the north of the road connecting Gračanica with Laplje Selo. The approximate geographic coordinates (WGS84) of the excavation site are 42° 36' N and 21° 10' E.

Ulpiana is also an older name used to refer to the present-day capital of Kosovo, Priština.