Badhër Castle

Ruins of the Badhër Castle from the late bronze age.

Badhër Castle (Albanian:Kalaja e Badhrës) is a castle in Borsh Albania. The castle is on the national road SH8 on the way to Piqeras. It located in the hill with the same name Badhër. On the left side of the hill you may see the ruins of medieval construction. On excavations during communism prehistoric tools were found.

Description

The castle has the shape of an irregular ellipse. Badhra Castle, both in terms of wall construction technique, 2 meters in height with average and small dimensions and without mortar joints, as well as from archaeological material, represents one of the earliest phases of the construction of fortified settlements of the late Bronze Age, 1500-1200 years before Christ. The wall line is curvilinear, irregular, insecure, adapting to the terrain, defended on the southern side by rock slides, like a construction made in parts. The surface inside the walls is partly rocky and shows no traces of habitation. The fortification was not designed for a long time, but only for resistance against raiders. These data give us the physiognomy of a tribal settlement, where the patriarchal community is established in a territory suitable for pastoralism. Outside the castle walls (on the North and West side), the ruins of 15 houses are preserved, which are important because they are the earliest houses of the Bronze Age in Albania. They shed light on the patriarchal social organization of Illyrian society at that time. Badhra Castle is from a period with other Illyrian castles discovered on the Ionian coast, such as Koros, Qeparo, Kalivo. With Badhra, we have the earliest model of fortification emergence. It represents different stages in establishing the connection between fortified and inhabited spaces. Badhra Castle dominates the entire coast of Lukovë, Borsh, Piqeras. Circular houses have been discovered within the fortification. The settlement dates back to the Middle and Late Bronze Age.

Hill where the castle is located.