The castle


Pythion Castle is built on a low hill at the western limits of the ​​Evros River riparian zone, at a distance of 15 km from both Didymoteicho and Adrianople. Founded between 1330 and 1340 by John VI Catacuzenus, it served as a military fortress and personal refuge during the civil wars of the 14th century. After the castle fell to the Ottomans, a new settlement called Kaleli Burgas grew up around it. The village is the burial place of Patriarch Cyril VI, who was hanged during the revolution.

The fortifications included a large external wall, parts of which still stand among the modern homes, and a smaller internal enceinte. Both enclosures are reinforced by towers on the outside, as well as by two large, square towers of different sizes flanking the entrance to the interior of the castle, at the point where the two walls join.

The largest tower stands three storeys tall, and has survived intact to a height of 17 metres. The floors are roofed over by four hemispherical domes, and are linked via a staircase built inside the east wall. On the south side of the upper floor a small exit led to the ramparts of the median wall. Surviving sections indicate that there were originally two further floors, the first of which projected and had machicolations for defence. The tower most probably served as a residence for the castle owner, particularly on the third floor, where there was a fireplace and a cupboard.

The smaller tower is almost square, slightly oblique and stands at a height of 20 metres, comprising four independent, single-roomed storeys with domed vaults. Evidence points to the existence of a fifth floor, though this has not survived. The ground floor is devoid of windows and was probably destined for use as a prison. An opening in the floor of the second level gave access to the ground floor via a wooden, probably portable ladder; the other floors were not linked, each having independent access. This tower was exclusively intended for military use.

Pithion Castle combines features of western forts, which were the headquarters of feudal lords,  with defensive castles  aimed at controlling and protecting the surrounding  area. It is a pioneering work in Byzantine fortifications, and one which continues to impress visitors to this day,despite the fact that only a small part of its original bulk survives.


Glossary (1)

machicolations: openings in walls or over fortified gates, through which hot oil or water was poured to repel attackers.


Information Texts (2)

The castle: The Byzantine castle of Didimotiho crowns a rocky hill above the mouth of Erythropotamos River in the Evros region. Founded a short distance from Constantinople, the castle occupied a strategic location as a staging post on the Adrianople to Trajanopolis road. The city was established in Roman times and was repeatedly modified over the course of its long history, particularly from Justinian to Palaeologan times. It became particularly important from the 7th century on, playing a pivotal role in historical developments, but did not reach its peak until the 14th century, when members of the imperial court resided in the castle for lengthy periods. It was a favourite residence of Emperor Andronicus III Palaeologus, partly on account of the exceptional hunting to be had in the region. Furthermore, it was the place where John VI Cantacuzenus was crowned emperor in 1342. Fortified walls measuring 1800 metres in length surround the core of the town to the north, south and east, while the west is protected by the natural moat formed by the Erythropotamos River. The entire perimeter of the walls is punctuated by round, square and horseshoe-shaped towers to reinforce the city's defences. Several of the towers bear the monogram of their founder, Michael Ducas Glavas Tarhaniotis, who also founded the monastery of Pammakaristos in Constantinople, and sponsored the frescoes in the chapel of Agios Euthymios in the famed Byzantine Church of Agios Demetrios in Thessaloniki. Access to the interior of the castle was originally gained via two main gates: the Kastroportes to the east and the double gate known as Neroportes to the west, flanked by pentagonal Justinian period towers. Later modifications saw the addition of the Saraioportes in the middle of north wall, a large cylindrical tower next to the river, and the Pentazono, a cistern that secured the city’s water supply. Inside the walls, surviving structures include the mid-14th century Byzantine Church of Saint Catherine, and a tomb of finely hewn masonry dating from the same period.
Adrianople: City in western Turkey. Inhabited by the Thracians, in the Roman period it became a centre for transport and commerce, which it was to remain throughout the course of its history. Adrianople was renovated by the Emperor Hadrian, who gave it his name; in Byzantine times it was renamed Orestiada. Following numerous raids during the Crusades, in 1361 it was occupied by the Turkish Sultan Murad I. Although it served as the capital of the Ottoman state up to 1453, Adrianople remained a largely Greek town until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, when it was permanently granted to Turkey.


Bibliography (6)

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3. Korres M., The Architecture of the Pythion Castle, 1989

4. Κορρές Μ., Μπακιρτζής Χαράλαμπος, ‘Το φρούριο του Πυθίου’ in Κοσμική μεσαιωνική αρχιτεκτονική στα Βαλκάνια 1300-1500, Thessaloniki, 1997

5. Μπρίκας Α., ‘Νεάπολις- Χριστούπολις – Καβάλα. Διορθώσεις- Προσθήκες – Παρατηρήσεις στην οχύρωση και την ύδρευση’ in Μέρος Α’, Μελέτες, 1998

6. Τσουρής Κ., Μπρίκας Α., Το φρούριο του Πυθίου και το έργο της αποκαταστάσεώς του. Προκαταρκτική ανακοίνωση, Καβάλα, 2002


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