Ulpiana Festival In Kosovo Aims To Promote Cultural Heritage Awareness

A couple dressed as ancient Roman citizens hold torches during a performance of Justinian And Theodora at the Ulpiana Festival near Pristina on September 17.

The two-day festival held at the Ulpiana archaeological site offers participants a rare glimpse of life in antiquity with performers, food stalls, games, dance, and handicrafts.

Girls dressed in traditional costumes wait for their performance to start. The festival is the first of its kind in Kosovo.

Ulpiana was an important Roman city in the Balkans and was part of the Roman province of Dardania. Its historical importance stems from its role as a center of Roman governance, trade, and culture in the region.
 

The festival organizers aim to raise awareness of Kosovo's rich cultural heritage.

Men dressed in ancient Roman costumes hold torches during a performance.

Ulpiana contains the remains of various Roman and Byzantine structures, including temples, basilicas, baths, and city walls. 

A performer dressed as a Roman legionnaire

Also known as Justiniana Secunda, Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Gracanica, some 12 kilometers to the southeast of Pristina. The city was believed to have been founded in the second century AD.

A 2014 file photo shows archaeology students at work in the ancient city of Ulpiana.

In August 2023, a mixed team of international and local experts unearthed a mosaic dedicated by Emperor Justinian (527–565 AD) and his wife Theodora to the Urbs Dardaniae (City of Dardania). It is one of the very few Latin dedications of the imperial couple in the late Roman world.

Another file photo from 2014 shows an archaeology student unearthing a mosaic.

“Such discoveries offer a unique perspective on culture and human history and provide extensive knowledge about the ancient structures of the Ulpiana Archaeological Park," EU Ambassador to Kosovo Tomas Szunyog said.