Shkodër District (Albanian: Rrethi i Shkodrës,[1] short name: Shkodër,[2] variants: Rrethi Shkodër[3] and Shkodra[4]) was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 185,794 in 2001, and an area of 1,631 km2 (630 sq mi).[5] It is in the north of the country, and its capital was the city of Shkodër. Its territory is now part of Shkodër County: the municipalities of Shkodër and Vau i Dejës.
Religion in Shkodër is 70% Muslim, 28% Catholic, 1% Orthodox and 1% undeclared. The area includes significant tourist attractions, such as Rozafa Castle (fortress of Shkodra); one of the biggest and most famous castles in Albania, with the 13–14th century St. Stephen's Church in its court, later converted to a mosque; the Ottoman-era Historical Museum building (1815); and the National Photo Gallery.[6]
