Fortress and the Byzantine Wall of Komotini скачать в хорошем качестве

Fortress and the Byzantine Wall of Komotini

It is the largest and oldest monument of the town. The city of Komotini was fortified by the Emperor Theodosius I (379-395 AD) because it was considered as a point of strategic importance. The Egnatia Street was passing there and due to military-economic reasons the city was fortified by a wall built with stones. It had sixteen towers, of which twelve were rectangular and circular on the four corners. The height reached to 9.60 m. It had two main entrances to the SW and SE side, and there were two smaller ones. Over the centuries and due to the destruction of neighboring villages, thanks to the protection it offered, it became a refuge for the people of the region. The wall remained intact until 1363. The Turks, during the invasion, destroyed part of the castle and built with its stones of mosques. The destructive work continued by Bulgarians, who in 1910 demolished towers and a large section of the wall which was left. Today it remains a neglected monument, remembrance of the glorious past of the city.