Kastra (Kasterci) lies about 11 km north of Theranda and occupies a strategically important position. Traces recorded within its territory point to an old settlement in this part of the region.
Kasterc is mentioned as early as 1198 in a text connected with the conquests of Stefan Nemanja. In 1348 it appears again in a charter of Emperor Dušan under the form Kosterçani, with 68 households. These references place the settlement among the earliest documented places in the Theranda area. In 1946–47 two families emigrated to Albania.
On 23 February 1913 Serbian forces burned more than half of the village and killed two residents, a woman and a man. Before the 1998–99 war Kastra had about 35 houses and approximately 370 Albanian residents. On 30 March 1999 more than 70% of the population was expelled to Albania, while the remainder stayed in the village.
Source
Source and further reading
Principal source: Prof. Dr. Jusuf Osmani, Settlements of Kosovo 4 — Theranda (Suhareka), Prishtina, 2003.
Source entry: KASTRA (Kasterci)
This page presents a selected summary from the published study of the settlement. For complete archival references, family histories, microtoponymy and the full treatment, consult the original volume.