Skopje fortress, Macedonia. Macedonian Skopje - all interesting places and route for the day. Old town Skopje

Kale Fortress in Skopje is a medieval Venetian fortress, a symbol of the city of Skopje and one of the main historical attractions of Macedonia. The fortress is located in the very center of the city, on the top of a hill (the highest point of the capital of Macedonia), on the banks of the Vardar River. The fertile lands of Skopje have been inhabited by people since prehistoric times - the first settlements appeared here in the 4th millennium BC, and in the 1st century AD a Roman colony was founded on the territory of modern Skopje, called Skupi. During its history, the settlement was ravaged by barbarians several times, and in 518 it was completely destroyed by a strong earthquake. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, the city was rebuilt. A fortress was erected on the top of a high hill, for the construction of which stone blocks from the ruins of the Roman settlement of Scupi were used. Archaeological excavations indicate that this fortress was destroyed at the end of the 6th century during raids on Macedonia by Slavic tribes, and only several centuries later, in the 9th-10th centuries, when Macedonia was part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, it was rebuilt. After the fall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, Skopje again became part of the Byzantine Empire; in the 11th century, the city became an important administrative and military center, and the Kale fortress became the main outpost, repelling numerous raids by the Normans. During the same period, new powerful defensive walls, bastions and towers were erected on the site of the dilapidated early Byzantine fortress. At the end of the 13th century, the fortress city came under Serbian rule, and in 1392 it was captured by the Turks. Under them, the defensive structures were significantly strengthened, additional ditches were dug, new towers were built and the southern gate was restored. On the territory of the fortress there were barracks, weapons depots and outbuildings. At the end of the 17th century, the fortress was in a deplorable state - the Austrian general Piccolomini, who captured Skopje in 1689, during the Great Turkish War, described the fortress as dilapidated and completely defenseless. In the 19th century, gunpowder warehouses, a military hospital and a prison were located on the territory of the fortress, after the expulsion of the Turks from Macedonia - the Austro-Hungarian headquarters (1917-1918), since 1929 - the headquarters, barracks and warehouses of the Royal Yugoslav Army. As a result of the devastating earthquake of 1963, the Skopje fortress was significantly damaged. Immediately after the earthquake, work was carried out to strengthen and restore the fortress walls, at the same time archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of the fortress, during which traces of the presence of people who lived here in the Neolithic era, stones from the ruins of the Roman settlement of Scupi, and the remains of fortress VI were discovered century and ancient aqueduct. Scientists have found that initially the walls of the fortress were 10-11 meters high and 2.85 meters wide. In 2007, excavations in the fortress were resumed - a cache of Byzantine coins, musical instruments, pottery and jewelry dating back to 3000 BC were found. Currently, the Kale Fortress in Skopje is one of the most visited attractions in Macedonia; in the summer, concerts, theatrical performances and other cultural events are held on its territory. The powerful walls and towers of the Kale Fortress are visible from anywhere in the city, and from the top of the hill there are stunning views of Skopje and the Vardar River valley.

Beautiful walls of the medieval fortress in Skopje, which is called Skopsko Kale, visible from everywhere, because it stands on a high (45 meters) Gradische ridge overlooking the Vardar River. In some Bulgarian sources she is called Justiniana. Perhaps this is one of the most important attractions of Skopje. Height above sea level 300 meters.

This is the first lower perimeter for the civilian population, here was the “Dolen Grad”.

Signs of settled life on the territory of this fortress date back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The modern appearance of the fortress dates back to the 13th-14th centuries. The oldest surviving walls are from the 11th century. According to archaeologists, the stone blocks from which the walls of the fortress were made were taken from the destroyed ancient city of Skupi. The height of the walls is 9 meters.

Residents lived in the lower, first perimeter (10 hectares) - “Dolen grad”, and the upper one was used for military purposes. In the late Middle Ages, the fortress was a military garrison.
Under the Bulgarian Khan Kuber (680), it was the largest fortress in the Balkans.

Entrance to the fortress.

The fortress was destroyed and rebuilt many times by various conquerors, as well as by earthquakes, the last of which was in 1963. At the moment, restoration and conservation work is underway in the fortress. Apparently they didn’t get around to it before.

View of Skopje from Skopsko Kale.

The fortress is located next to the old town of Skopje and Macedonia Square with the Stone Bridge.

From the fortress there is a beautiful view of the capital of Macedonia in all four directions. In summer, the fortress hosts concerts and various cultural events.

This path along the wall turned out to be not circular - we had to return along it, because at the end everything was blocked by a metal fence due to conservation.

The first excavations here took place in 1953 - that’s when the prehistoric layers were discovered. In 1967, after a devastating earthquake, traces of a settlement of the 5th-4th centuries were discovered. BC e. in the same way, it was established that the original height of the walls was 10-11 meters, and the width was 2.85 m. One tower has a round base, another is polygonal, another is rectangular, the other four are triangular. There are similar fortresses in Africa.

There are monuments that breathe history and, like a time machine, transport a person to the past. One of these monuments is the Derbent Fortress, which is no less than 5 thousand years old! Our article will help you touch this grandiose structure in absentia.

Purpose of the fortress

The history of Derbent and the Derbent fortress began 5 thousand years ago, when Maskut tribes lived on the territory of the current city, and the city belonged to the kings of Caucasian Albania. The inhabitants were forced to fortify the settlement with a fortress called Chola to protect themselves from constant raids.

In the 6th century the name was changed to Derbent. According to history, the Derbent fortress defended the city from raids and attacks of the Mongols, Persians and Arabs for 15 centuries.

Today the fortress is recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the most visited attractions not only in Dagestan, but also in Russia.

City `s history

Derbent is the oldest city in Russia. The first records about it were made back in the 8th century BC, but officially it is 2000 years old. How old is the Derbent fortress? The fortress was founded 5,000 years ago, and the city of Derbent - 2,000 years ago. Thus, the fortress is 5000 years old.

The city got its name from the Persian word “derbent” meaning “gate gate”. Thanks to its favorable location, it often changed owners and managed to be part of several kingdoms: Persian, Arab, Mongolian, Timurids, as well as the Shirvan Khanate.

In the 17th century, the Russian Cossack ataman Stepan Razin captured Derbent and began his campaign to Persia from here. Thanks to his victories, Peter the Great recognized the city as historically valuable and gave orders to study the architecture and preserve important architectural monuments. And the inhabitants, tired of constant raids and attacks, themselves gave the keys to the fortress to the king. After this, the city was transferred more than once to different states through a peace treaty. And only in the 19th century, according to the Treaty of Gulistan, it was finally transferred to Russia. After this event, the city began to develop economically thanks to the production and trade of dyes.

The history of the city's development could not but affect its population - it is one of the most multinational cities in Russia. According to the latest census, more than 40 nationalities with different distinctive cultures and languages ​​live here.

Modern Derbent

Currently, 120 thousand people live in Derbent. It is the 2nd largest city in Dagestan and the 38th most populous in Russia. Thanks to its advantageous location between the mountains and the sea and the unique monument - the Derbent Fortress - the city is visited by hundreds of tourists every year. In addition, despite the fact that the majority of the population in Dagestan professes Islam, the famous Caucasian cognac and wine are produced here.

Derbent can also boast of its warm climate: in winter the temperature does not drop below +15 degrees. Summer begins in April and ends in late autumn - in October. Therefore, during the velvet season, tourists can not only admire the Derbent fortress and try national dishes, but also swim in the sea.

Legend

There are many legends about the Derbent fortress. One of them says that when Khosrow the First Anushirvan decided to build a wall, he invited the Khazar Kagan to make peace and, to confirm the truth of his intentions, asked for the hand of a Khazar princess. The Khazar Kagan was delighted, since this marriage opened the way for him to the Persian throne, and hastened to send his daughter to Derbent. The princess was greeted with all honors, but Anushirvan did not marry her, and after erecting the wall, he sent the girl back to her father. The angry Kagan sent an army to the Derbent fortress, but was unable to conquer it.

Description

The Derbent fortress is conventionally divided into three parts: the Naryn-Kala citadel, the sea walls and the Dag-bars. Naryn-Kala, despite a large number of alterations, is the best preserved. Two walls - southern and northern - run parallel to each other. Between them is the ancient part of the city. The northern part of the wall is better preserved than the southern part, most of which was demolished in the 19th century. In general, the length of the fortress wall is 3600 meters.

The gates, which testify to the power of the fortress, are especially beautiful. The northern gate has a harsh architectural appearance, which is explained by constant raids and attacks from the north. The southern gate, on the contrary, is elegant and looks solemn.

In total, the fortress covers an area of ​​4.5 hectares. The walls, 3 meters thick, are made of processed and torn stones filled with lime mortar. The northern part of the Derbent fortress was built before the southern one. At one time, the southern part of the wall extended into the sea, which prevented attacks from shallow waters. But today it is destroyed.

The Naryn-Kala citadel attracts tourists and city residents with its beauty and power - the length of its walls is 42 km. The founder of Naryn-Kala is Shah Khosrow the First Anushirvan from the Sassanid dynasty. According to legend, the fortress was named in honor of the beloved daughter of the Shah’s wife - Naryn, whose name translates as “fragile”, “tender” or “sunny”. The fortress located in the center of the citadel blocks the passage between the Caucasus ridge and the Caspian Sea.

Naryn-Kala is a unique masterpiece of fortification architecture. It has retained all its beauty and power of arches, columns, towers and walls, despite centuries and many reconstructions. Also fully preserved are the gates on the western and eastern sides, known as the secret or “gate of shame”, since through them the head of the city could escape in case of loss and hide in the mountains.

In the north-west of the citadel you can see various ancient monuments. For example, a cross-domed temple, indicating that until the 6th century Derbent was the center of the Christian religion in the Caucasus. In addition, you can get acquainted with the water supply system of those times, walk through the ruins of the Khan's palace and office of the 18th century, see the guardhouse of the 19th century and the ancient underground dungeon.

The oldest settlement on the territory of the fortress dates back to the 4th millennium BC. e.. Since that time (with short interruptions) the territory of the modern fortress has been inhabited. In ancient times, the Kale hill was not inhabited, but a sacrificial pit and a coin of Alexander the Great were discovered on its territory. There are assumptions about the beginning of the construction of large fortifications in Kale during the reign of Justinian, but what is certain is that Kale turns into the center of Skopje at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel. Under him, the city was surrounded by walls built using advanced technologies. At the end of the 11th century, the city was held by the Normans for several years, as evidenced by the discovery of a specific Viking bow at the Calais excavations. Under Byzantine rule, Kale became a center for crafts of Balkan importance.

At the end of the 13th century, the city came under the control of Serbia and became one of its centers, and in 1346 the Serbian king Stefan Dusan was crowned king of the Serbs and Greeks, which made Calais a strategically important point. During this period, there were four churches on the territory of Calais, and the area of ​​the hill was densely built up. During the period of Serbian rule, the fortifications of Calais were completed. At the foot of the fortress near the Vardar River was the Jewish Quarter.

After the capture of Skopje by the Turks in 1391, the fortress began to be used as a barracks. While Skopje was a border fortress, the fortifications were strengthened, the southern gate was rebuilt, and additional towers were added.

A report by the Austrian general Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who took Skopje in 1689, has been preserved, in which the fortress is described as having 12 half-abandoned towers and generally dilapidated and poorly defended. In 1700, the Ottoman authorities began building a new wall with towers and associated infrastructure, and the fortress again became an important military installation.

In 1917-1918, the Austro-Hungarian headquarters was located in Calais, and later the headquarters, barracks and warehouses of the Royal Yugoslav Army were built here.

The devastating earthquake of 1963 seriously damaged the fortress structures, after which centralized work began to restore the fortress.

In February 2011, a group of Macedonian Albanians objecting to the construction of a museum in the form of a church on the territory of the fortress destroyed its construction, which led to inter-ethnic clashes.