Berat Castle ( sq, Kalaja e Beratit), also referred to as the Citadel of Berat and castle quarter, is a fortress overlooking the town of

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

churches in the area and Ottoman mosques. It is built on a rocky hill on the left bank of the river

Osum The Osum is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Its source is in the southwestern part of the Korçë County, near the village Vithkuq at an altitu ...

and is accessible only from the south. It is situated at an elevation of . Berat - Festung 1b Zwinger Monogramm Michael Komnenos

History

After being burned down by the Romans in 200 B.C., the walls were strengthened in the 5th century under Roman Emperor

Theodosius II Theodosius II ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος, Theodosios; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450) was Roman emperor for most of his life, proclaimed ''augustus'' as an infant in 402 and ruling as the eastern Empire's sole emperor after the death of his ...

to protect from Barbarian incursions into the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. They were subsequently rebuilt during the 6th century under the Emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renova ...

and again in the 13th century under the

Despot of Epirus The despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical ...

, Michael I Komnenos Doukas, cousin of the

Byzantine Emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, to Fall of Constantinople, its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. On ...

. This last phase can be seen as a Monogram formed by red bricks set in a wall of the castle. The castle was under the rule of

John Komnenos Asen John Komnenos Asen ( bg, Йоан Комнин Асен, Yoan Komnin Asen; gr, Ίωάννης Κομνηνός Ἀσάνης, Iōannēs Komnēnos Asanēs; sr, Јован Комнин Асен, Jovan Komnin Asen) was the ruler of the Principal ...

in the mid-14th century The main entrance, on the north side, is defended by a fortified courtyard and there are three smaller entrances. Church of the Holy Trinity (45652148212)

Church of the Holy Trinity (45652148212)

The fortress of

in its present state, even though considerably damaged, remains a magnificent sight. The surface that it encompasses made it possible to house a considerable portion of the cities inhabitants. The buildings inside the fortress were built during the 13th century and because of their characteristic architecture are preserved as cultural monuments. The population of the fortress was Christian, and it had about 20 churches (most built during the 13th century) and only one mosque, for the use of the Turkish garrison (of which there survives only a few ruins and the base of the minaret). The churches of the fortress were damaged through years and only some have remained. Berat Castle is depicted on the

reverse Reverse or reversing may refer to: Arts and media * ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001 * ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film * ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film * ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005 * ''Reverse'' ...

of the Albanian 10 lekë coin, issued in 1996, 2000 and 2013.Bank of Albania
Currency
Albanian coins in circulation, issue of 1995, 1996 and 2000
. – Retrieved on 23 March 2009.

References

Photo, history and info of Berat Castle
Buildings of Justinian I Castles in Albania Tourist attractions in Berat Buildings and structures in Berat Roman fortifications in Macedonia {{Albania-castle-stub

History

See also

References