Niš Fortress
Ottoman walled fortress on the Nišava, enclosing Roman remains, a hamam, mosque and gallery.
Niš Fortress stands on the right bank of the Nišava, on a site occupied since Roman times when the city was known as Naissus. The walls seen today were raised between 1719 and 1730 under a decree of Sultan Ahmed III, using stonecutters brought from Istanbul and labour drawn from fourteen Ottoman provinces. The ramparts enclose about 22 hectares and stand some eight metres high and three metres thick, which makes the complex one of the best preserved Ottoman fortifications in this part of Europe.
The main entrance is the Stambol Gate, whose inscription panel is dated 1723 and which faced the road towards Istanbul. Inside the walls a park has grown up around a scatter of monuments: the hamam of about 1498, the Bali Bey Mosque of 1521, the Arsenal of 1857, a lapidarium of Roman tombstones and the excavated remains of a Roman street and basilica. The Arsenal now serves as an exhibition space, and the grounds are used for the city's summer festivals.
Highlights
- Stambol Gate of 1723, the fortress's main entrance
- Ottoman hamam and the Bali Bey Mosque within the walls
- Lapidarium of Roman tombstones from ancient Naissus
- Arsenal building of 1857 used for art exhibitions
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