Silistra (Силистра) Fortress-Fort Medjidi Tabia (Меджиди табия)

The origins of the fortress complex date back to antiquity when the city of Durostorum was founded. As early as 971, the fortress served the Russian Grand Prince Sviatoslav I as a retreat after losing the Eastern Bulgarian Empire to the Byzantines. In 1595, the city of Silistra was burned down by the Turks. In 1811, the fortress fell to the Russian Empire after only five days. During the war of 1828 to 1829, it initially withstood a siege but surrendered after six months in a second attempt. Between 1841 and 1853, the Ottomans erected the current fortress, which was part of the Silistra–Varna–Shumen–Ruse fortress quadrilateral. The plans for this came from the German officer Helmuth von Moltke, who visited Silistra in 1837. The construction was led by Bulgarian master builders, including forced laborers from the Silistra region. After completion, the construction workers were resettled in Anatolia to ensure the secrecy of the plans; the master builder was executed. In the Crimean War of 1854, Russian troops failed to conquer Silistra. In 1877, the city was again besieged by the Russian army and, after the Russian victory in the Russo-Turkish War in February 1878, evacuated by the Turks. Although the Treaty of Berlin stipulated the demolition of the fortifications, they were still preserved around 1889. Fort Medjidi Tabia served as a military base until 1956 and housed Wehrmacht units during World War II.

The Silistra Fortress is located in the city of Silistra, in the district of Silistra, in the region of Silistra, Bulgaria. It is situated at an elevation of approx. 131 meters above sea level.

Today, Fort Medjidi Tabia is the best-preserved complex of the former fortress quadrilateral and can be visited by tourists. It has been operated by a weapons collector since 2003.

• Basilica Pliska (Sacred Building), approx. 78.8 km away
• Ancient City Pliska (Ancient Buildings), approx. 80.1 km away
• Roman Castellum Abrittus (Ancient Buildings), approx. 85.8 km away
• Ancient Excavation Site Madara (Ancient Buildings), approx. 92.4 km away