The fortress stands on the highest point of Skopje's old town, above the Vardar River. The first fortress dates to the 6th century and is thought to belong to the reign of Justinian I. Builders of the 10th and 11th centuries built over its remains. The article names no builders for any period, and no style.
It is built of yellow limestone and travertine, with Latin inscriptions in some blocks, taken from the Roman city of Skupi. An earthquake destroyed that city in 518, which the article does not reconcile with Justinian's reign. Evliya Çelebi described double walls about 98 feet (30 m) high, five sides and seventy bastions in 1660. A gate inscription records repairs in 1446.
The 1963 Skopje earthquake partly destroyed it. Excavations from 2006 to 2010 found a 13th-century church foundation and a large Byzantine coin hoard. The site is open to the public and remains under Centar municipality's responsibility.
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