Niš Fortress

Niš Fortress ( sr, Нишка тврђава / Niška tvrđava) is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, overlooking the area inhabited for longer than two millennia. It was protected by law in May 1948 as it was declared a cultural site of great significance. The current condition of the fortress lists it as one of the best preserved fortifications of this kind in Serbia as well as on the Balkan Peninsula.

History

The existing fortification is of Ottoman Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century (1719–1723). It is well known as one of the most significant and best preserved monuments of this kind in the mid-Balkans. The Fortress was erected on the site of earlier fortifications – the ancient Roman, Byzantine, and later yet Medieval forts. During World War I it was occupied by Bulgarians who turned it into a prison where Serbian patriots were imprisoned.

Building

The Fortress has a polygonal ground plan, eight bastion terraces and four massive gates. It stretches over 22 ha of land. The rampart walls are 2,100 m long, 8 m high and 3 m thick on the average. The building stone, brought from the nearby quarries, was hewn into rather evenly shaped blocks. The inside of the rampart wall was additionally fortified by a wooden construction, ''santrač'', and an additional bulwark, ''trpanac''. On the outside, the Fortress was surrounded by a wide moat, whose northern part has been preserved to our days. Beside the massive stone rampart walls, the southern Stambol Gate and the western Belgrade Gate are pretty well preserved. Partly preserved are the water gates, while there are only remains of the northern Vidin Gate and the south-east Jagodina Gate. With a complete reconstruction of all the gates, Niš Fortress would once again become, architecturally and functionally, a closed fortification system.

Far into the fortress, there is a weather station, that provides forecasts for the city of Niš.

Since 1966, the fortress is the location of the Niš Film Festival.

Buildings and monuments within the walls

Град Ниш улаз у тврђаву.jpg, Stambol Gate inside
Beogradska kapija niške tvrđave, pogled sa unutrašnje strane DSC 0165.JPG, Belgrade gate
Niska tvrdjava ostaci kapije1.jpg, Vidin gate (remains)
Niska tvrdjava ostaci kapije2.jpg, Vodena (Water) gate
Hamam u Nisu1.jpg, Hammam (Turkish bath)
Niška tvrđava, Niš, Srbija, 036.JPG, Bali-Bey Mosque
Niška tvrđava, arsenal DSC 0123.JPG, The arsenal building, which now houses art galleries
Barutana u niškoj tvrđavi DSC 0030.JPG, Powder magazine
Niška tvrđava, Pašin konak DSC 6428.JPG, Pasha's residence
Niska tvrdjava sredjeni ostaci1.jpg, Conserved Roman ruins which now work as bars
Аncient workshop in the Niš Fortress,IMG 3720.jpg, Аncient workshop remains near the Bali-Bey Mosque
Niška tvrđava, lapidarijumDSC 6409.JPG, Lapidarium
Ancient streets in Niš. IMG 3506.jpg, Remains of ancient streets
The building is Octagon.IMG 4878.jpg, Ancient Octagon Palace
Vaulted Building in Niš Fortress 03.jpg, Vaulted Building, archeological site
Spomenik knezu Milanu u Tvrdjavi 1.jpg, Monument to Milan I of Serbia
Summer stage in Niš Fortress.IMG 3804.jpg, Summer stage
City garden Niš.IMG 3706.jpg, City garden Niš

See also

* List of fortresses in Serbia

References

External links

The Fortress of Niš
Niš Fortress web page


at the City of Niš' official web page


at virtualtourist.com

External links

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Ottoman architecture in Serbia
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Forts in Serbia
Tourism in Serbia
Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia)

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