Early Period The ancient predecessor of Lipjan, the
Roman settlement of
Ulpiana, was an important town in the
Illyrian and
Dardanian spheres. By the 2nd century CE, it was the economic, political and culture centre of the province of Dardania. It was situated on a road between ancient
Naissus and
Lissus, called
Via de Zenta. It suffered from barbarian raids, especially the incursion of 517CE, and from a great earthquake that damaged much of
Dardania. By the time
Justinian I began his restoration of the
Byzantine Empire, Ulpiana was in a ruinous condition - after repairing the town, Justinian labelled it
Justiniana Secunda. Ulpiana also played an important ecclesiastical role, having had a local bishop present at the
Council of Serdica in 347CE and at the Ecumenic Synod of 553CE.
Florus and Laurus were said to have settled in Ulpiana.
Middle Ages In the early Middle Ages the city was part of the
Bulgarian Empire and a diocese of the
Archbishopric of Ohrid. In 1018 it was recaptured by the
Byzantines. According to some modern authors, Lipjan may also be the birthplace of
Lekë Dukagjini (1410–1481), an Albanian noble whose realm was actually located in Northern
Albania. Dukagjini was a close friend of Albanian military commander
Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. In April 1999, ethnic Albanians were forced out of the area by Serb forces, and their properties were looted and burned by said forces. Serbian paramilitary forces were alleged to have shot more than 50 Albanian civilians in 3 surrounding villages. Immediately after the war, during the
Staro Gracko massacre, 14 Serb farmers were slaughtered. During the
2004 unrest, the majority of local Serb families were forced out of the area, with their houses and properties burned down. ==Geography==