BELGRADE UNDER AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN RULE

After the truce signed in Karlovci in 1699 Belgrade once more came under Turkish power. In March 16,1717 a famous battle under Belgrade took place and the Austrian army, led by Eugene von Savoy took the Belgrade fortress.

The works on altering Belgrade fortress lasted thirteen years, and famous constructor Nikolaus Doksat de Morez made the plan. New gates, bastions were made, military barracks, so called Alexander’s barracks were constructed downtown, and the town got czar Carlo VI gate (this gate still exists); in the Upper town a famous roman well was dug, catholic cathedral and bishop’s residence, a famous palace called "The rice palace” were build, and Belgrade’s coat of arms with three mosques and royal eagle rising was established.

A war between Turkey and Austria started in 1737. Nikolaus Doksat de Morez, the constructor of Belgrade town was executed in 1738 in Belgrade fortress for surrendering the Nais fortress to the Turks. His last words were: “Oh, fortress, I built you and now you are the one to take my life…”. 

After peace made in Belgrade in 1379, Austria lost everything it gained by peace signed in Pozarevac – among other, it lost Serbia and Belgrade. Among the stipulations of the peace contract was the regulation that Austria had to remove all the parts of the fortification from the old town build during the occupation period. Churches ere transformed into mosques, population mostly migrated, and the old town regained old oriental appearance. Entering the town was possible trough four gates: Sava gate, Town gate, Stambol gate and Vidin gate. Pasha’s castle, harem, the great mosque and buildings for Turkish clerks were in the Upper town, while military barracks, shops, mosques and gun powder magazines were in the Lower town. The town formed half-circle around Lower town, and ramparts were up to six meters high and ten to twelve meters wide.