Justiniana Prima

Justiniana Prima (Serbian: "Царичин град"/"Caričin Grad") was a Byzantine city. Its location is not known: it could have been in today southern Serbia near today's Leskovac, or near Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia.

After being founded by emperor Justinian I it existed from the 530s to 615 and was designed as a splendid bishop's seat. The city was a completely new foundation in honour of the nearby village of Tauresium (could be today's village Taor in the Republic of Macedonia, near Skopje), the birthplace of Justinian. The city planning combined classical and christian elements: thermae, a forum, streets with colonnades as typical mediterranean features went along with numerous churches.

The suggested location of Justiniana Prima in Caričin is not completely proven but based on some evidence, mainly its dating in the 6th century and its geographical setting. Alternative locations such as today's Skopje have been suggested, too. Contemporary sources are rare which makes it difficult to gain a definitive answer.

Justinian himself ordered the foundation of the city by law in 535 making it at the same time the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum instead of Thessalonike. It also was chosen as the seat of the dacian diocese. It has to be said though that Thessaloniki actually didn't lose much of its administrative functions during the short livetime of Justiniana Prima. Still the new foundation was not without effect and Justinian made sure that this city, that was one of his favourite projects, received all the necessary promotion. In 545 Justinian published another law underlining the episcopal rights and status of Justiniana Prima which is also confirmed by letters that were exchanged between Justinian and pope Gregory at the end of the 6th century.

In 615 the city suddenly was destroyed be invading Avars coming from north of the Danube.