Novo Brdo Fortress

Novo Brdo Fortress (Serbian: Тврђава Ново Брдо, Tvrđava Novo Brdo; Albanian: Kalaja e Novoberdës) is a medieval Serbian fortress in Kosovo. Its ruins are located near the town of Novo Brdo, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Pristina. The fortress was built in the early 14th century to protect gold, silver, iron and lead mines which were abundant throughout the area. Novo Brdo was famous for its silver. Together with the castles of Prizrenac, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the southwest, and Prilepac, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the southeast, which guard access roads to the fortress, Novo Brdo helped form a defensive complex overlooking the lucrative mining operations. Novo Brdo was at its height during the Serbian Despotate (1402–1459), when it was the most important mining area and second most important town in Serbia. A significant number of Saxon miners and a large Republic of Ragusa merchant colony lived within the town. The town had its vojvoda but also its governor (kefalija), because it was a seat of an administrative unit of the Despotate.^[1]

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo Brdo Fortress