Pyrgos Tower: A Medieval Defensive and Residential Tower in Bulgaria
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Second Bulgarian Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Tower
On this page10 sections
History
Pyrgos Tower is a medieval defensive and residential tower in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, probably built between the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. Its architecture belongs to the defensive tradition of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the medieval Bulgarian state that lasted from the late twelfth century until the Ottoman conquest in the late fourteenth century, and has been compared with the fourteenth-century fortifications of Baba Vida at Vidin.
Construction in the Despotate of Velbazhd
A local feudal lord built the tower as an independent fortified structure during a period of conflict among the Bulgarian, Serbian, and Byzantine empires. Kyustendil was then the center of the semi-independent Despotate of Velbazhd, a medieval principality ruled by the Serbian magnate Konstantin Dejanovic, also known as Konstantin Dragash. He was an Ottoman vassal, and the tower’s construction was connected with the region’s growing need for security.
The Despotate of Velbazhd became the Ottoman Sanjak of Kyustendil around 1427 or 1428. A sanjak was an Ottoman administrative district. Pyrgos Tower belonged to the unsettled political and military landscape that preceded and accompanied this transition.
Damage, Ownership, and Conservation
An earthquake damaged Kyustendil in 1904. The adjacent minaret of the Ahmed Bey Mosque suffered such severe damage that its remains were later demolished. On February 20, 1909, Tsar Ferdinand I issued a decree transferring Pyrgos Tower and about 250 square meters of surrounding land to the municipality of Kyustendil, which later owned the property.
In 1966, Bulgaria’s National Institute for Monuments of Culture carried out restoration and conservation work. The intervention reconstructed the timber floors, floor levels, and roof. Since 1968, Pyrgos Tower has been protected as an architectural and construction cultural monument of national significance in Bulgaria.
Remains
Pyrgos Tower stands in central Kyustendil beside Roman baths dating from the second or third century AD. It is near the Ahmed Bey Mosque and south of the city’s Chifte Banya bathhouse, with the Kyustendil archaeological and historical museums also nearby. The almost square building measures approximately 8.25 by 8.35 meters and rises about 15 meters. It has a ground floor and three upper stories, with a single entrance at ground level and defensive openings arranged through the higher parts of the structure.
Tower Structure and Exterior
Walls and Masonry
The ground-floor walls are about 1.4 meters thick. The walls on the first and second stories measure about 1.1 meters, while those of the uppermost story are about 0.8 meters thick. Small stones, mortar, and bricks approximately 25 centimeters long and 4 centimeters thick make up the masonry. Bricks were used especially around windows and at the corners, creating visible areas of brickwork on the facades. Some of the building material came from the nearby abandoned Roman baths.
Entrances and Defensive Openings
The tower has narrow firing slits, openings that allowed defenders to use weapons from protected positions, and windows near the upper part of the south facade. The first story has a vaulted entrance on the north side, while two firing openings pierce its south wall. The uppermost story contains vertical and circular firing openings, reflecting its role in all-round defense. A marble slab bearing a rosette is set beneath the eaves.
Interior Levels
Storage and First Story
The ground floor served as storage, particularly for weapons. An entrance on the east was opened during the late medieval period, when the tower was converted into a weapons store. The first story contains a vaulted northern entrance, two southern firing openings, and a stone fireplace used for heating.
Residential and Defensive Stories
The second story was arranged for long-term habitation. Its features include a fireplace, a gallery, niches, three windows, and a half-story gallery with a niche for sanitary use. The third story is divided into two half-levels and was designed for defense, with vertical and circular firing openings. The restored roof and internal timber floor structure form part of the tower’s reconstructed fabric.
