Kaliakra

Kaliakra is a fortress located on a narrow peninsula in the Dobruja region of northeastern Bulgaria, near the Bulgarian-Romanian border. The fortress sits atop a rocky outcrop about 30 meters high, which drops off sharply to the sea on one side and the surrounding land on the other. The location was strategically important for controlling maritime trade in the Black Sea.

The original fortress was built by the ancient Greeks in the 5th century BC, though archaeological evidence from this period is scarce. The Romans later renovated and fortified the site in the 1st century AD. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, various European powers, including the Byzantine Empire and the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, vied for control of Kaliakra.

In the late 14th century, the fortress was the last stronghold of the Voevode of Dobruja, Mircea I of Wallachia, against the Ottoman Empire. Although the reign of Mircea I ceased in 1386, the stronghold remained under control of the Wallachian voivodes for nearly two decades more, until the final fall to the Ottomans in 1408. Kaliakra remained an important stronghold until its final surrender in 1422.

The fortress was heavily fortified with multiple fortifications and towers, designed to prevent large-scale invasions by the Ottomans. Its ability to withstand the assaults for nearly two decades was largely due to the fortified walls and strategic location.

In 1810 a lighthouse was constructed, but it hasn't survived to this day. Today the remains of the Kaliakra Fortress have been proudly restored as a historic site, and the narrow peninsula still bears the remains of the ancient walls.