The Belogradchik Fortress ( bg, Белоградчишка крепост, ''Belogradchishka krepost''), also known as Kaleto (Калето, "the fortress" from
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
''kale''), is an ancient fortress located on the north slopes of the
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border betw ...
, close to the northwestern
Bulgarian town of
Belogradchik and is the town's primary cultural and historical tourist attraction, drawing, together with the
Belogradchik Rocks, the main flow of tourists into the region.
It is one of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance.
The fortress's walls are over thick in the foundation and reaching up to in height. Three separate fortified yards exist that are connected with each other through gates. The fortress has a total area of . The Belogradchik Fortress was reconstructed to later become a proclaimed cultural monument. It is managed by the local historical museum authority.
History
The initial fortress was constructed during the time when the region was part of the
Roman Empire. The rock formations in the area served as a natural protection, as
fortified walls were practically only built from the northwest and southeast, with the yard being surrounded by rocks up to high from the other sides.
Initially, the Belogradchik Fortress served for
surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
and not strictly defense. The Bulgarian
tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
of
Vidin,
Ivan Stratsimir
Ivan Sratsimir (), or Ivan Stratsimir ( bg, Иван Страцимир), was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Vidin from 1356 to 1396. He was born in 1324 or 1325, and he died in or after 1397. Despite being the eldest surviving son of Ivan Alexand ...
extended the old fortress in the 14th century, building fortified garrisons in front of the existing rock massifs. During Stratsimir's rule, the Belogradchik Fortress became one of the most important strongholds in the region, second only to the tsar's capital fortress of Vidin,
Baba Vida.
During the
Ottoman conquest of Bulgaria, the fortress was captured by the Ottomans in 1396. They were forced to further expand the stronghold due to the intensified
hajduk and insurrectionist activity in the region.
Considerable changes to the fortress were made in the early 19th century. These changes were typical for the Ottoman castle architecture of the period, a full reorganization being carried out, as well as additional expansion. Typically
European elements were added to the Belogradchik Fortress owing to the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Italian engineers that participated in the expansion.
The stronghold had an important role in the Ottoman suppression of the Bulgarian
Belogradchik Uprising
Belogradchik ( bg, Белоградчик ) is a town in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of the homonymous Belogradchik Municipality. The town, whose name literally means "small white town," is situated in the foo ...
of 1850. It was last used in warfare during the
Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885.
Gallery
File:Kaleto fortress galleryfull.jpg, One of the fortress gates
File:Belog 1.JPG
File:Belog 2.JPG
File:Belog 3.JPG
File:Belogradchik Fortress.png, Plan
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
External links
Official tourism page for BelogradchikVirtual tour of Belogradchik Fortress via Google walking camera360° virtual tour of Belogradchik fortress and rocks
{{Castles in Bulgaria
Castles in Bulgaria
Buildings and structures in Vidin Province
Tourist attractions in Vidin Province
History of Vidin Province
Belogradchik Municipality