Description of the attraction
The fortress in the city of Niš has a very ancient history: the first construction on this place was the ancient Roman kastrum - a settlement in the form of a military camp. In the middle of the II century, a stone fortress already stood here, which in subsequent centuries was an important outpost of Byzantium, protecting it from the raids of Slavic tribes. However, this stronghold could not withstand the onslaught of the Slavs, who captured it at the beginning of the 7th century.
After the XI century, the fortress changed its owners more than once - the Byzantines, Serbs and Bulgarians became them. In the middle of the 14th century, Niš became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, and its fortress, still recognized as an important defensive structure, was strengthened even more.
In the XIV-XV centuries, battles between Serbs and Turks took place near the fortress, and the outpost passed from one hand to another. The fortress was in the hands of the Turks until the end of the 17th century and the arrival of the Austrians, then at the beginning of the next century the fortification was repulsed by the Turks, who were engaged in its reconstruction and strengthening of its defensive functions.
At the end of the 19th century, Niš became part of Serbia again; the fortress continued to be a military object until the middle of the last century. In the 1950s, the building received the status of a historical monument and became a city attraction visited by tourists.
When examining it, it is worth paying attention to the proximity of fragments from different eras - ancient Roman, Byzantine, medieval, the period of the Ottoman rule.
The fortress stands on the banks of the Nishava River, has a good degree of preservation and is considered one of the best preserved fortresses in the Central Balkans. It is surrounded by walls, which are eight meters high and three meters wide. There are four imposing entrance towers along the perimeter. The moat has been partially preserved. The main entrance to the fortress is the Istanbul Gate. The fortress covers an area of more than twenty hectares; on its territory there is a park, a mosque, a prison, a powder warehouse, a former mosque with an art salon inside, a hamam and other buildings.
