Galič

Galič (Greek: Γαλίτζτ, Serbian: Галич) was a medieval fortification (kastron) located in the village of Luka, on a hill on the right side of the Sočanica river into the Ibar, 20 km north of Kosovska Mitrovica. It was a military fort that protected the neighbouring roads and mining areas and also served as a refugium.^[1] Its name is of Slavic origin, derived from gal-, which is another word for "black, dark".^[1] The mining region of Kopaonik–Rogozna includes the Roman-era municipium Dardanorum.^[2] The Sokoljača fortification existed at the same time on the other side of the Sočanica.^[2] Oral tradition calls Galič "Trojan's city" (Trojanov grad) and Čivutana.^[2] There are remains of the medieval fort foundations, and later Ottoman-period trenches.^[2] Material from Galič was used to build the Sočanica church.^[2]

Serbian archaeologist Đorđe Janković studied Sočanica in 2009 and also visited Galič and Sokoljača.^[3] He believed that Galič was a Byzantine fort that was rebuilt by the Serbs with wood, during the Byzantine-Serbian conflict in 1149.^[4]