 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Serbian. (October 2010)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
| Niš Fortress Niška tvrđava | |
|---|---|
| Niš Serbia | |
 Entrance to the Niš Fortress (Stambol Gate) | |
| Site information | |
| Owner | City of Niš |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Reconstructed |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 43°19′33″N21°53′43″E / 43.3259°N 21.8954°E /43.3259; 21.8954 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 18th century |
| Materials | Stone |
Niš Fortress (Serbian:Нишка тврђава / Niška tvrđava) is afortress in the city ofNiš,Serbia. It is a complex and important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of theNišava River, overlooking the area inhabited for longer than two millennia.[1] 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.
The existing fortification is ofOttoman Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century (1719–1723).[2][3] 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 – theancient 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.[citation needed]
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 additionalbulwark,trpanac. On the outside, the Fortress was surrounded by a widemoat, whose northern part has been preserved to our days. Beside the massive stone rampart walls, the southernStambol Gate and the westernBelgrade Gate are pretty well preserved. Partly preserved are the water gates, while there are only remains of the northernVidin Gate and the south-eastJagodina 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 theNiš Film Festival.
Media related toNiš Fortress at Wikimedia CommonsCastles, fortresses and palaces in  Serbia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Castles, fortresses &palaces |
|  .jpg)   _(crop).jpg)  |
See also:Forts and Castles in Serbia,Palaces and Manor Houses in Serbia,Immovable Cultural Heritage of Serbia * is used for castles located in the disputed territory ofKosovo | ||
 | ThisCultural Heritage of Serbia-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
