Vize Castle – Kırklareli, Vize
Vize Castle (Vize Fortress) is a defensive wall-and-castle system located in the
town center of Vize, in Kale (Castle) Quarter, Kırklareli Province, northwestern
Turkey. The fortification surrounds the northern and western sides of the town
and once formed the acropolis and main defensive circuit of the ancient city of
Bizye (Vize) in Thrace.
(Source: Vize – Vize Fortress section
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vize
Vize Castle and Walls – Kırklareli Inventory
https://kirklarelienvanteri.gov.tr/vize-kalesi-ve-surlari-148)
Based on a wall inscription recording a repair in the 2nd century AD, the fortress
is believed to have been originally constructed around 72–76 BC in the Roman
period. It was later restored and strengthened under Emperor Justinian I
(AD 527–565), when many fortresses in Thrace were rebuilt as part of a wider
defensive program. During the Byzantine era, Bizye became one of the major fortress
cities of Eastern Thrace.
(Source: Vize Fortress (Inner & Outer Castle) – Take a Tour
https://takeatour.arci-ngo.org/tr/products/sites/12
Green Corridors – Vize Fortress
https://greencorridors.burgas.bg/en/objects/view/83)
The walls are built of large ashlar blocks and rubble masonry, bonded with strong
mortar. In several sections the surviving curtain walls reach 3–4 meters in height,
reinforced by towers and bastions. The fortress consisted of an inner and outer wall
system; today, portions of the western and southern walls, some towers and a gate
area remain visible, giving a clear impression of the original line of the defenses.
(Source: Vize Castle and Walls – Kırklareli Inventory
https://kirklarelienvanteri.gov.tr/vize-kalesi-ve-surlari-148
Gezinomi – Historical places to visit in Vize
https://www.gezinomi.com/gezi-rehberi/vize-nin-mutlaka-gezilmesi-gereken-tarihi-yerleri.html)
After the Byzantine period, the fortress continued to play a strategic role under
the Ottomans for some time, as Vize became one of the notable administrative
centers of Thrace. Today, the remains of Vize Castle’s walls and towers crown the
hill above the town, forming a prominent landmark and preserving the multi-layered
history of Bizye/Vize from antiquity to the Ottoman era.
(Source: “Vize Castle – Thrace’s time-resistant walls”
https://www.cerkezkoybakis.com.tr/vize-kalesi-trakyanin-zamana-direnen-surlari
Vize Municipality – History of Vize
https://www.vize.gov.tr/tarihce)