The Historic Centre of Sighișoara (''Sighișoara Citadel'') is the old historic center of the town of

Sighișoara Sighișoara (; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Schäsbrich'', ''Šesburχ'', or ''Scheeßprich''; ; or ) is a Municipiu, city on the Târnava Mare, Târnava Mare River in Mureș County, central Romania. Located in the ...

(, ),

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, built in the 12th century by

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

settlers. It is an inhabited medieval citadel that, in 1999, was designated a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

for its 850-year-old testament to the history and culture of the

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler dialect, Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sa ...

. Birthplace of

Vlad III the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was List of princes of Wallachia, Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most imp ...

(in Romanian ''Vlad Țepeș''), Sighișoara hosts, every year, a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

festival where arts and crafts blend with rock music and stage plays. The city marks the upper boundary of the Land of ''Sachsen''. Like its bigger brothers,

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

(''Hermannstadt'') and Braşov (''Kronstadt''), Sighișoara exhibits Medieval German architectural and cultural heritage that was preserved even during the Communist period.

Description

The fortress is surrounded by a 9.3 m high wall, originally about 4 m high. Later, the height of the wall was increased in some places to 14 m. The wall was built between the 14th and 17th centuries as protection against Turkish attacks. The wall had 14 towers, 9 of which are preserved to this day. The towers served as the headquarters of various craft guilds. * The Clock Tower (height: 64 m; gate-tower) * The Rope Makers' Tower (located on the plateau of Școala din Deal (School on the Hill), it was restored in the 19th century and now serves as the caretaker's dwelling of the Evangelical Cemetery on the hill) * The Butchers' Tower (hexagonal) * The Furriers' Tower (destroyed in the fire of 1676, but rebuilt; it has 4 levels) * The Weavers' Tower (demolished in 1858, the stones were used to pave the fortress) * The Tailors' Tower (on the opposite side of the Clock Tower, it is a gate-tower; it has 2 floors; its gunpowder storage exploded in the fire of 1676, destroying the tower, which was rebuilt) * the Jeweler's / Goldsmiths' Tower (set on fire by lightning in 1809, it was demolished in 1863, when the German high school gym was built on its foundation; this was in turn converted into the cemetery chapel in 1935–1936) * The Tinsmiths' Tower (height: 25 m; four floors) * The Tanners' Tower (one of the oldest) * The Blacksmiths' Tower (built in 1631 on the foundations of the old Barber's Tower; destroyed in the fire of 1676, but rebuilt) * The Tower of the Locksmiths and the Coopers were situated between the Tower of the Shoemakers and the Blacksmiths. * The Fishermen's Tower once stood on the banks of the Târnava, much further outside the fortress, where the mill was located at that time. It is rarely mentioned. It can only be seen on the Museum model in the Clock Tower. * The Shoemakers' Tower (marks the northern end of the fortress wall; mentioned in 1521, fortified in 1603, partially destroyed in 1606, rebuilt in 1650, burned in 1676, rebuilt in 1681). File:Turnul Cositorarilor Sighisoara.jpg, The Tinsmiths' Tower

External links

World Heritage Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Historic Centre of Sighisoara Sighișoara Buildings and structures in Mureș County Tourist attractions in Mureș County World Heritage Sites in Romania

Description

See also

External links