Nis fortress

Nis Fortress is in the very center of the city, on the right bank of river Nisava.

The medieval fort was erected on the base of an earlier antique and Byzantine fortress. At the end of 11th century there was a strong Byzantine garrison.

Great duke Stefan Nemanja conquers it in 1183 and in 1189 he met in Nis with the German emperor Fridrich I Barbarosa.  From 1203 it is again under Bulgarian rule, while under emperor Dusan it became part of Serbia. Finally the Turks take it in 1427.

During the third and fourth decade of the 18th century, on the site of the old fort, Turks erect a new bastion artillery fort and based on Voban’s system, as a defense line of the new frontier with the Habsburg monarchy. Austrians conquer Nis briefly in 1737, but the fortress remains a Turkish stronghold up to 1877 when it is liberated at the end. 

 

             

           

Location

Site name and location: Niš Fortress, City of Niš, Serbia
Monument type: Cultural monument of special importance
Property of: Republic of Serbia
Under responsibility of: Niš Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments
Institution in charge of: Niš Municipality
Trg Vojvode Bojovica 2, 18000 Niš
Tel: +381(0)18 513 278
Fax: +381(0)18 513 277
web: www.ni.rs