CETATEA SIGHISOARA

Cetatea Sighisoara, aflata in judetul Mures, pe raul Tarnava Mare este singura cetate locuita
permanent din Europa. În 1999 cetatea a fost înscrisă pe lista patrimoniului cultural
mondial  UNESCO.
Ridicata pe platoul superior al dealului, ea servea drept refugiu pentru locuitorii unei asezari
de la poalele dealului. In secolul al XIV-lea, pe platoul inferior s-au stabilit numerosi
mestesugari, organizati deja in bresle la 1376.Prosperitatea le-a permis ca, pana la sfarsitul
secolului al XV-lea, sa inalte un puternic sistem defensiv, care a facut din Sighisoara una
dintre cele mai greu de cucerit cetatitransilvanene. In perioada urmatoare, zidurile au fost
consolidate si inaltate, iar la sfarsitul secolului al XVII-lea cetatea avea 14 turnuri, intretinute
si aparate de membrii breslelor mestesugaresti. Dintre acestea, noua pot fi admirate si acum.
Cetatea este înconjurată de un zid de 930 m a cărui înălțime inițială era de circa 4 m. Ulterior,
înălțimea zidului a fost mărită în unele locuri până la 14 m. Zidul a fost construit între
secolele al XIV-lea și al XVII-lea [3] ca protecție împotriva atacurilor turcești. Prin orice parte
ai trece de zidurile cetatii, o destinatie obligatorie este Turnul cu Ceas(64 metri), simbolul
orasului. Celebritatea i-au adus-o figurinele in stil baroc ale ceasului, care anunta ora exacta,
etape ale zilei sau chiar zilele saptamanii,iar in turn se gaseste unul dintre cele mai vechi
muzee de istorie(1899).Un alt punct de reper istoric este  Casa Vlad Dracul,  mai exact, casa
tatălui lui Vlad Țepeș. Se crede că domnitorul român s-a născut aici în anul 1431.
In concluzie,Cetatea Sighisoara este un obiectiv turistic important din Romania ce trebuie
neaparat vizitat. Este o locatie superba cu o arhitectura remarcabila incarcata de istorie care
a castigat dragostea tuturor turistilor.

SIGHISOARA FORTRESS
Sighisoara is the only inhabited medieval fortress in South-East Europe. It is also
part of the UNESCO WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE  sites since 1999. It is
located on the Tarnava Mare River, in Mures County .Once the visitors step
through the gates of the Sighisoara Citadel, they are carried back in time as they
wander through the narrow winding cobbled lanes. They can listen to the calls of
the town crier, who to this day announces the town's events, accompanied by his
drum.

Because it was buit on the upper part of the hill the fortress served as a refuge for
the inhabitants of a settlement who lived at the foot of the hill.. In the 14th century
lots of craftmen settled on the lower plateau and organized themselves in guilds by
1376. Prosperity allowed them, until the end of the 15th century, to build a strong
defensive system, which made Sighisoara one of the most difficult Transylvanian
cities to be conquered. In the following period, the walls were consolidated and
raised, and at the end of the 17th century the fortress had 14 towers, maintained
and defended by members of craft guilds. Nine of these towers can also be
admired even nowadays. The towers got their names after the guilds. For example,
the Blacksmith’s Tower, the Butcher’s Tower, and the Tanner’s Tower can be
visited. The fortress is surrounded by a wall of 930 m whose initial height was
about 4 m. Later, the height of the wall was increased in some places to 14 m. The
wall was built between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries as a defance
against the Turkish attacks.

A must-see is the Clock Tower (64 meters), the symbol of the city. The fame was
brought by the baroque figurines of the clock, which announce the exact time,
stages of the day or even the days of the week. The Clock Tower, was used in the
past as a holding cell for prisoners sentenced to death. In modern times it was
transformed into a museum, hosting a collection of weapons and military
equipment, as well as a torture chamber. Another historical landmark. is Vlad
Dracul's House, more precisely, Vlad Țepeș's father's house. It is believed that the
Romanian ruler was born here in 1431.
In conclusion, Sighisoara Fortress is an important tourist attraction in Romania
that must be visited. It is a beautiful location with a remarkable architecture full of
history that has won the love of all tourists.