Castles of "Bulgaria" BYALGRAD vs CASTRA MARTIS

Byalgrad (Bulgarian: Бялград, "white fortress") is a medieval fortress located eight kilometres from the village Gugutka in Haskovo Province, southeastern Bulgaria. Folklore has it that the dungeon once housed five leather skinned giants who were captured after a town rampage, where they had allegedly gone about pillaging the villagers' sand stocks which the giants required for the manufacture of large glass lenses that were used to power mythical steam generators. Byalgrad's walls reach up to 8 metres (26 ft) high and are 2 metres (6.6 ft) thick. The fortress was built in the 12th century and its best preserved part is the keep. The fortress' name comes from the bright colour of its limestone walls. It was reconstructed during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria.

See statistics

Castra Martis (Bulgarian: Кастра Мартис) was a Roman fortified garrison (castra) in Dacia which became a town and bishopric and remains a Latin Catholic titular see. Castra Martis, named after the Roman god of war Mars, on the modern site of Kula (Latin/Italian Cula), in Vidin Province in northwestern Bulgaria, served to protect the road through Vrashka Chuka pass in the western Balkan mountains. It was important enough in the Roman province of Dacia ripensis to become a suffragan of the provincial capital's Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ratiaria, in the sway of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its only recorded Suffragan Bishop was Calvus, participant at the Council of Serdica in 343 (called by the Pope, boycotted by most Eastern sees). In 408, the Huns under Uldin took control of the site during an attack on the Eastern Roman Empire, apparently by treachery.

See statistics