Berat Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Beratit), also referred to as the Citadel of Berat and castle quarter, is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat, Albania. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many Byzantine churches in the area and Ottoman mosques.[1] It is built on a rocky hill on the right bank of the river Osum and is accessible only from the south. It is situated at an elevation of 214 metres (702 ft).[2]
| Berat Castle | |
|---|---|
Kalaja e Beratit | |
| Berat, Albania, 40.7067° N, 19.9522° E | |
 Berat Castle | |
 | |
.svg)  Berat Castle | |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner |  Albania |
| Controlled by | Illyrian Parthini  Roman Empire  Byzantine Empire First Bulgarian Empire  Kingdom of Albania  Principality of Muzaka  Ottoman Empire Albania |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 4th Century BC |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Berat (1280–1281) Siege of Berat (1455) Siege of Berat 1833 Siege of Berat 1834 Siege of Berat 1839 Siege of Berat 1847 Battle of Berat (1943) |
History
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After being burned down by the Romans in 200 B.C., the walls were strengthened in the 5th century under Roman Emperor Theodosius II to protect from Barbarian incursions into the Balkans. They were subsequently rebuilt during the 6th century under the Emperor Justinian I and again in the 13th century under the Despot of Epirus, Michael I Komnenos Doukas, cousin of the Byzantine Emperor. This last phase can be seen as a Monogram formed by red bricks set in a wall of the castle. The castle was under the rule of John Komnenos Asen in the mid-14th century The main entrance, on the north side, is defended by a fortified courtyard and there are three smaller entrances.
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The fortress of Berat in its present state, even though considerably damaged, remains a magnificent sight. The surface that it encompasses made it possible to house a considerable portion of the cities inhabitants. The buildings inside the fortress were built during the 13th century and because of their characteristic architecture are preserved as cultural monuments. The population of the fortress was Christian, and it had about 20 Churches (most built during the 13th century) and only one mosque, for the use of the Turkish garrison (of which there survives only a few ruins and the base of the minaret). The churches of the fortress were damaged through years and only some have remained.
Berat Castle is depicted on the reverse of the Albanian 10 lekë coin, issued in 1996, 2000 and 2013.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ UNESCO
- ^ "Berat Castle Altitude and Positioning". Archived from the original on 2018-11-13. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ Bank of Albania. Currency: Albanian coins in circulation, issue of 1995, 1996 and 2000 Archived 2009-03-06 at the Wayback Machine. – Retrieved on 23 March 2009.
40°42′29″N 19°56′42″E / 40.708°N 19.945°E
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