Berat Castle | |
---|---|
Kalaja e Beratit | |
Berat, Albania, 40.7067° N, 19.9522° E | |
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) |
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]
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.
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]
Berat is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is 71 kilometres north of Gjirokastër, 70 kilometres west of Korçë, 70 kilometres south of Tirana, and 33 kilometres east of Fier. Berat is located in the south of the country. It is surrounded by mountains and hills, including Tomorr on the east that was declared a national park. The river Osum runs through the city before it empties into the Seman within the Myzeqe Plain. The municipality of Berat was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Berat, Otllak, Roshnik, Sinjë, and Velabisht, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the city Berat. The total population is 62,232 as of the 2023 census, in a total area of 421.6 km2 (162.8 sq mi).
This is an alphabetical index of people, places, things, and concepts related to or originating from the Byzantine Empire. Feel free to add more, and create missing pages. You can track changes to the articles included in this list from here.
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40°42′29″N19°56′42″E / 40.708°N 19.945°E