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Photo: Деан Лазаревски · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site in Macedonia
The Tetovo Fortress is a ruined fortress and archaeological site in Tetovo, North Macedonia. Because of its location on a hill called Baltepe, it is also known as Baltepe Fortress. The fortress was built beginning in 1820 under Abdurrahman Pasha, who also reconstructed the Šarena Mosque. On the site previously stood a monastery dedicated to Saint Athanasius. The fortress was built with a guest house, a dungeon, a kitchen, a dining hall, and a fountain. Water did not flow from the fountain, reportedly, until Abdurrahman Pasha was summoned to Constantinople in 1843 on suspicion of treason. After his departure from Tetovo, the fortress fell into ruin. It is believed that three escape tunnels were built from the fortress: one to the city center, one to the upper part of Tetovo, and one to the village of Lavce.
