This building is a symbol of the historical heritage of Vidin. It was built relatively recently, at the beginning of the 19th century, between May 25, 1800 and May 14, 1801, by the order of the then ruler of Vidin, Pasha Osman Pazvantoglu. The purpose of the building was to be the seat of the Ottoman military garrison. The building is built of stone and brick, having a unique cross shape, to facilitate the defense in case of attack. The walls are massive, the outer ones are 100 cm thick, and the inner ones are 70 cm. At each of the 4 wings there is an entrance, the main gate being the one from the north, where there is a well, for drinking water supply. On the ground floor was the food and water warehouse, the horse barn and a weapons workshop. Upstairs were the soldiers’ bedrooms and kitchen. After the release of Bulgaria, the building was used as a court of law. In 1965, after a complete restoration, the ethnographic museum of the city of Vidin was arranged inside.
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