The maintenance and utilization of the castle of the “twin walls” – which owes its name to the city – was a constant demand of the local community of Didymoteich.

The castle is ranked among the most important in northern Greece and is one of the largest castlers of Greece. The Ministry of Culture, satisfying its request, prepared the necessary studies with the support of a research program between the Ministry of Culture and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The results will be presented to the local community following the unanimous positive opinion of the Central Archaeological Council.

Based on the results of the research program, the most serious pathology problems are found in the castle building complex, due to the physical deterioration of materials, combined with corrosive agents and the lack of systematic maintenance.

In addition to the building and building problems facing the fortification monument, the serious aesthetic degradation is recorded, due to arbitrary constructions, especially outside the walls, which alter its aesthetic and historical value.

There is also limited access due to inadequate route network, within the castle, but also due to lack of marking and organized entry points that makes it difficult to tour visitors.

The Castle’s History

The castle of the “twin walls”, the most important in the territory of Thrace, is located at the top of Kale hill, which dominates the city of Didymoteich and is built on dozens of carved caves. In its present form, it dates from the 6th century AD.

In the Byzantine Empire, Didymoteicho was an important center, commercial, administrative and military. His strategic position, next to Erythropotamos and near road and aquatic networks, served, from ancient times, the protection and surveillance of the area.

The Gate of the Bridge, in Didymoteicho Castle

The three main entrances to the castle serve access from different directions of the city and are linked to its historical and architectural evolution.

Its area reaches 11 hectares.

Maintaining the castle requires immediate rehabilitation interventions to ensure the static adequacy of constructions, highlight the cultural value of the monument and to enhance its traffic.

Priority is given to interventions at the entrances of the castle, the routes and its surroundings.

The interventions relate to the Bridge Gate and the Portal Gate, two important points of the fortification, with successive remodels, the last in the Ottoman period.

The gate of the bridge was connected to the rural inland through the Erythropotamos Bridge. The market gate is the main entrance of the castle. It is the most fortified, due to the proximity to the residential web, and is linked to the expansion of the city, except the walls.