Medzhidi Tabiya, Ottoman fortress in Silistra, Bulgaria
Medzhidi Tabiya is a hexagonal fortress on the Danube River standing about 8 meters high with thick walls and multiple bastions for defense. Each bastion was positioned to cover the adjacent ones, allowing the structure to defend every angle around it.
A German engineer designed this fortification between 1841 and 1853 using military principles of the era. It was built during a period of conflict with Russia and served to monitor and control the river, which then marked the boundary between the Ottoman Empire and its northern neighbors.
The name references a sultan's visit in 1847, and visitors can still see how defensive rooms and cannons were originally arranged for military operations. Walking through shows how soldiers and officers once moved through this working outpost on the river.
The fort sits right at the river's edge and is easy to reach; wear comfortable shoes as the ground is uneven and stairs can be steep. Visit early morning or late afternoon in summer, as the sun is strong and there is little shade throughout the structure.
This fort is remarkable because nearly all original elements from when it was built remain intact, including the cannons and interior fittings. Visitors can actually look into the same rooms where officers worked and lived more than 150 years ago.
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