Didymoteicho Fortress

Didymoteicho, Greece

The Didymoteicho Fortress is an ancient and medieval hilltop citadel complex. It has been an important landmark since ancient times due to the strong fortification surrounding it. The castle is accompanied by several myths, one of the most famous is that of the Forty Arches, and is where Charles XII, King of Sweden, is said to have been imprisoned by the Turks.

Located on the hilltop, strategically placed, due in-part to its strategic location overlooking both the town of Didymoteicho, the Erythropotamos River and the road to Constantinople, it is one of the most important Byzantine-era castles in Thrace and the Balkans.

History

According to the 6th-century historian Procopius, the reconstruction of the walls of Didymoteicho took place during the reign of Justinian I. The castle experienced several long sieges, and as a result The walls were subsequently strengthened during the reign of Constantine V in 751.

In 1206, the fortress (known as Demotika) was besieged by Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan, who took advantage of the disintegration of the Byzantine Empire. The fortress was later occupied by the Latin Empire. In 1303, with the re-establishment of Byzantine rule, master builder Constantine Tarchaneiotes strengthened the fortifications. This is supported by Topography of building materials and methods that suggest the occupation by Byzantine forces continued into the later period of the empire.

In October 1352, during the Byzantine civil war of 1352–1357, John V Palaiologos, with military support from Serbia commanded by Gradislav Borilović, engaged John VI Kantakouzenos (with backing from Orhan I, the Ottoman bey). The two armies met in an open field close to the fortress walls. The more numerous Ottomans defeated the Serbs, and Kantakouzenos retained the power, while Palaiologos fled to Venetian-controlled Tenedos. According to Kantakouzenos about 7,000 Serbs fell at the battle (deemed exaggerated), while Nikephoros Gregoras (1295–1360) gave the number as 4,000. The battle was the first major engagement of the Ottomans on European soil, and made Stefan Dušan realize the major growing threat of the Ottomans to Eastern Europe. By 1361, the fortress had fallen to the Ottomans.

In a cave next to the 19th-century Cathedral of Saint Athanasios Charles XII, King of Sweden, is said to have been kept under house arrest by the Ottomans. During the Ottoman rule, the structures were not adequately preserved, and by 1848 the fortress was in a ruinous state sustaining severe damage from various incursions as well as those provoked by the Russians who occupied the city in the course of the two Russo-Turkish wars in 1828–29 and 1877–78.

Architecture

The castle is preserved at its longest length, its Byzantine walls are 1 kilometre long and reach a height of 12 meters, with 24 towers in total, some of which bear monograms of Byzantine personalities or decorative and symbolic patterns.

The two central gates of the fortress, known as the Kale Gates, are flanked by five-sided towers dating to the Justinian refurbishment. The West gate facing Erythropotamos river remains intact and contains a smaller gate next to a tower with pointed arches and a court added in the early Ottoman times. Inside the castle there are scattered carved caves which were used as parts of houses. There are a number of Post-Byzantine building within the walls, notably the church of Aghia Aikaterini comprising tombs, the cathedral of Aghios Athanasios (1834), and the church of the Christ (1846).

Today, 24 towers and post-Byzantine buildings are preserved within the Castle.

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Details

Founded: 6th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Greece

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ivan Radnev (11 months ago)
Dimotika is a unique place called by someone a living observatory of Balkan culture. The walls of the medieval citadel are preserved and have a length of one kilometer and are reinforced with 26 towers, which are also preserved. At the top of the hill are the remains of the so-called "Byzantine palaces". The locals call this place "The Forty Chambers". The name probably comes from the hundreds of rooms carved into the rocks, scattered in a dense network throughout the elevation. Sometimes they have several rooms and are comfortable dwellings, workshops and farm parts. Clay jars for storing food supplies, wine and olive oil can be found inside and near them. The two medieval stone troughs for wine production, carved straight into the rock and completely preserved, make a great impression. Streets and staircases are formed between the carved buildings. There is no doubt that this unique town planning existed during the Byzantine period. According to the archaeologist Gouridis, however, the data points to an earlier origin of the rock architecture. He believes that the first excavations were made by the Thracians, whose ceramics were found on the hill. The Greek name of the city means twin walls and comes from the single city that existed before the barbarian invasions, located on the neighboring lower hill. Subsequently, the two cities merged. In 813, the city became part of Bulgaria, for which a memorial column was erected in the capital Pliska, which is now preserved in the Archaeological Museum in Sofia. In the 11th century, Byzantium regained possession of Dimotica. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Crusaders took control of the city. A little later, King Kaloyan recaptured the city and made it part of Bulgaria. In 1352, the decisive battle of Pythion took place here between the allied Bulgarians, Serbs and Byzantines and the Turks. The victory is Ottoman. In 1361 Dimotika fell under Ottoman rule and became the first Ottoman capital in European lands. In February 1713, the King of Sweden, Karl XII, after the defeat at Poltava, stayed for some time in the castle of Dimotica.
Θεόδωρος Γιαννακογεώργος (11 months ago)
no ticket needed and there is no entrance ,just some ruins of an old castle with a nice 360 view of the city
Adri S (21 months ago)
Nice place for a small lunch on a banch with the view.
Dimitris Papakonstadinoxristodoulopoulos (3 years ago)
This is what makes Didymoteicho recognisable among the Greeks including the famous mosque of the sity. The place is very beautiful since it combines history with nature and the view of the city, the mosque, Tyrkey and even Bulgaria will greate an unfogetable experience.
Lori Zikuska (4 years ago)
Nice view of the city. However, when you get completely to the top, its pretty dirty and there had to be a fire recently. A bit unpleasant there. If you only go to the viewpoint, it's nice.
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