Niš Fortress
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The Niš Fortress, situated in Niš, Serbia, dating from the first decades of the 18th century (1719-1723). Niš Fortress is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, overlooking the area inhabited for longer than two millenniums.
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[edit] History
Before the fortress was erected it used to be a Roman camp and it is thought that there may have been a settlement of Celts where the fortress is now. It is believed that in the 6th century the Slavic people made a structure of importance in this location, however there is no evidence of this until the 10th century. During the Turkish occupation of Niš in the 14th century they built a fort where the current fort resides now. The Austrian armies also had rebuilt and added onto the fort when they were in control of it. The Turkish army had finished building Niš Fortress that stands today in the year 1660. In 1688 and 1737, Niš was seized by the Austrian army, in their campaign against the Turks. Turks retook it in 1689 and 1738.
[edit] Features
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 additional bulwark, 'trpanac'. On the outside, the Fortress was surrounded by a wide moat, whose northern part has been preserved to our days.
Beside the massive stone rampart walls, the southern Stambol gate and the western Belgrade gate are pretty well preserved. Partly preserved are the water gates, while the northern Vidin gate and the south-east Jagodina gate are preserved only in remains.
[edit] Festivals
- NIŠVILLE Jazz Festival is an international jazz festival held on the Amphitheatre Stage which is located in the Niš Fortress.
- NISOMNIA is a rock festival held on the Amphitheatre Stage.
- NIS INTERNATIONAL ACTING FESTIVAL is a film festival held on the Amphitheatre Stage annually in late August.
- NIS INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL is a choir-singing festival organized on the Amphitheatre Summer Stage biennially in July.
