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Baba Vida (Grandmother Vida)

Vidin, northwestern Bulgaria

RELIGIONS Orthodox

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SITE

DESCRIPTION
Baba Vida (Bulgarian: Баба Вида) is a medieval fortress in Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria and the town's primary landmark. It consists of two concentric curtain walls and about nine towers of which three are preserved to their full medieval height, including the original battlements, and is said to be the only entirely preserved medieval castle in the country. Baba Vida is 39 metres (128 ft) above sea level.[1] The construction of the fortress began in the 10th century at the place of the Ancient Roman castell Bononia. The building of Baba Vida is tied to a legend, according to which a Danubian Bulgarian king who ruled at Vidin had three daughters: Vida, Kula and Gamza. Prior to his death, he divided his realm among the three. Vida, the eldest, was given Vidin and the lands north to the Carpathians, Kula was awarded Zaječar and the Timok Valley, and Gamza was to rule the lands west up to the Morava. Although Gamza and Kula married to drunkard and warlike nobles, Vida remained unmarried and built the fortress in her city. The name of the castle means "Granny Vida".
HISTORICAL RELEVANCE
Baba Vida served as Vidin's main defensive installation during the course of the Middle Ages and acted as the most important fortress of northwestern Bulgaria. The Baba Vida stronghold stood an eight-month-long siege by Byzantine forces led by Basil II, but was destroyed and once again erected during the rule of Ivan Stratsimir, as whose capital it served. Between 1365 and 1369, the fortress was in Hungarian hands. Vidin was suddenly attacked by the forces of Louis I of Hungary, but it took several months to conquer Baba Vida. In 1369, Ivan Sratsimir managed to regain control of his capital, albeit having to remain under Hungarian overlordship.
INTER-RELIGIOUS RELEVANCE
In 1388, the Ottomans invaded Sratsimir's lands and forced him to become their vassal. In 1396, he joined an anti-Ottoman crusade led by the King of Hungary, Sigismund, placing his resources at the crusaders' disposal. The crusade ended in the disastrous Battle of Nicopolis at Nikopol, Bulgaria, with the Ottomans capturing most of Sratsimir's domains shortly thereafter, in 1397.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
The fortress played a role during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, serving as a weapon warehouse and a prison, also as residence for Osman Pazvantoğlu, as it has been no longer used for defensive purposes since the end of the 18th century. There is a small chapel inside the fortress, where everyone can light a candle and pray in front of the icons of different saints.
HOW TO USE WITH THE STUDENTS
Students should visit this notable and preserving the Bulgarian spirit fortress to admire its majesty, to learn more about the history hidden behind the walls, thus they will be able to immerse themselves in the magic of the past.
CONNECTION WITH OTHER RELIGIOUS SITES

Church. St. Dimitar - "Ekzarh Iosif I" str., Vidin

REFERENCE TO THE GUIDELINE

MEDIA RESOURCES

  • JPG

    Baba Vida Fortress
    Nine artists from all over the country arrange every year their works in an exhibition in the "Baba Vida" Fortress under the title "In Vidin for Vidin - Friends." The idea came from sculptor Alexander Proynov - Aper. The exhibition presents about 50 works - paintings, watercolors, sculpture, wood carving, icons.

VIDEOS

LINKS

  • Baba Vida fortress
    This web sites give additional information about the fortress, its history and its current state.

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.