Description of the attraction
Skopje Fortress rises on a rocky hill dominating the northern part of Skopje city. In the tourist literature, you can find its second name - Skopsky Kale. The word "kale" is of Turkish origin and means "stronghold" in translation.
The first fortifications on the site of the present fortress appeared in the 6th century, in Byzantine times. However, archaeologists claim that these places were inhabited much earlier. Skopskoe Kale turned into a well-fortified fortress in the 10th-11th centuries. For the only time in the history of the citadel, it was practically razed to the ground by the participants in the uprising of Peter Delyan. After the occupation of Skopje by the Ottomans in 1391, the fortress was restored. In 1660, the Turkish traveler Evlia elebi, who visited Skopje, noted the local fortress as one of the most powerful strongholds in the Balkans. After the Austro-Turkish War in 1700, the castle over Skopje was enlarged. During the First World War, the fortress again regularly performed its functions: it housed the Austro-Hungarian headquarters. In the interwar period, there were military warehouses and the headquarters of one of the army units.
Since 1951, the fortress has not been a military facility and has been turned into a recreation area. On the territory of the fortress, there is a picturesque park, where various cultural events are often held: concerts, theatrical performances, etc. The buildings of the fortress are in a depressing state after the 1963 earthquake. The city authorities plan to restore them over time and turn them into a museum. In the meantime, archaeologists who have already made many discoveries are working in the fortress. So, here were found the remains of a Christian temple of the XIII century.
