Vushtrri () or Vushtrri is a city and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in northern Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Vushtrri has 26,964 inhabitants, while the municipality has 69,870 inhabitants. Vushtrri is surrounded by the city of Mitrovica to the north, Podujeva in the east, Obiliq in the south, Drenas in the south-west, and Skënderaj in the west. The municipality of Vushtrri has 67 villages. In antiquity, Vushtrri may have been known as Viciana. When the Roman Empire invaded Dardania in the 1st century BC, the Romans added the Latin suffix 'um' to the name of Viciana, therefore becoming Vicianum. In Albanian, Vushtrri is the name of the plant Ononis spinosa, which is abundant in the region. The main characteristic of the city is its cultural and historic monuments. The city's castle, stone bridge, public bath and česme (fountain) were built centuries ago and are the biggest attractions of the city. Vushtrri has a total area of , and the density of population is 202/km2. The area accounts for approximately 3.2% of the total territory of Kosovo. History The Dardani tribe ruled the region in the Iron Age, until the Roman conquest in the 1st century AD. Archaeological sites exist at various places in the vicinity, including Samodrezha, Pestova, Duboc Fortress, Stroc Castle and Breglumi. The region then came under Byzantine rule and later in 1389, under Ottoman rule. In 1487, Albanian toponyms, such as Shalc, Kuçiq and Guri i Kuq are mentioned in the Nahija of Vushtrri. During the 1999 Kosovo Independence war, Vushtrri suffered greatly in loss of human life (see Vushtrri massacre) and arson and razing of historical buildings by the Serbian paramilitary forces. The destroyed monuments range from old Ottoman style houses to many historical Ottoman mosques, such as Gazi Ali Beg Mosque (1410). Geography Vushtrri is located in the north-east of Kosovo. Vushtrri is surrounded by Mitrovica in the north, Podujeva in the east, Obiliq in the south, Drenas in the south-west, and Ferizaj in the west. The municipality of Vushtrri has 67 villages. The lowest point is above sea level, near the place where the river Smrekonica flows into the Sitnica river. The highest point in the territory is at the Maja e Zezë peak, in the south of Bare village. The valley territories surround the Sitnica river, which runs from north to south, reaching its maximum width before