Nebojša Tower, Kalemegdan Fortress

Abstract

The Nebojša Tower (Tower) is a part of a wider monumental complex - the Belgrade Fortress - built on the strategically important position on the confluence of European rivers Sava and Danube in Belgrade city which represents a unique museum of Belgrade’s past. The Tower is one of the few better preserved medieval buildings within Belgrade Fortress. It was built in 1456 within the framework of extensive fortifications construction, which was undertaken to rebuild the destroyed and damaged city fortifications. It belongs to the oldest type of early artillery cannon towers which represents a significant architectural and construction achievement of that period on the territory of the city of Belgrade. It was built for the purpose of the city defense and, in a broader sense, was part of the defense system - the wall of Christianity - which successfully stopped Osman empire incursions towards the center of Europe for decades. Centuries later, when it lost its former military significance, it was turned into a dungeon.