Built in the 4th century BCE by the Illyrian-Epirote tribes, it was rebuilt by Justinian in the 5th century, and after being severely damaged during barbarian invasions, it came under the control of Charles I of Anjou in the 13th century, later passing into the hands of German knights, and for a long time, under the Republic of Venice. In 1417, it fell into Ottoman hands, who undertook a thorough reconstruction, while in 1458, it appeared under the Despotate of Epirus with the name Arhonteja of Sopot. In 1456, Catalan troops of the King of Naples, Alfonso V, landed in Sopot to be used against the Turks. From that time until 1790, the castle was frequently in the hands of both the Ottomans and the Venetians until Haxhi Bendo Vasili from Borsh, a vassal of Ali Pasha Tepelena, took control, incorporating it into the Pashalik of Janina. During that time, a mosque was built inside, the only one constructed on the Himara coast. In 1913-1914, the commander was the patriot Mehmet Selim Shahaj, who delivered the Ultimatum of Vlora.