Position and Strategic Importance
Rab, also known by the Latin name Javrinum, is a fortified city situated at the meeting point of three rivers: the Rab, the Rabnitz, and the Danube. Because of this position, the city long served as a strong frontier bulwark against the Turks and was one of the most important defensive points in this part of Hungary. Its rivers provided natural protection, while its walls and fortifications made it difficult for enemy forces to approach or attack.
The city was carefully planned for defense and communication. It possessed two principal bridges. One bridge crossed a double ditch and led toward Austria, allowing quick access to imperial territory. The second bridge opened toward Alba Regalis, also known as Stuhlweissenburg, an important inland city. These crossings were essential for military movement, trade, and supply Administration and Travel in the Border Provinces.
Fortifications and Bastions
A Strong Defensive System
Rab was surrounded by a powerful system of fortifications. The city had seven large bastions and four cavaliers, or raised platforms, which stood higher than the bastions and allowed soldiers to observe and defend the surrounding area. Each bastion had its own name and purpose.
The first bastion, called the Castle Bastion, supported the castle or palace of the governor, from which the city was administered. The second, the Water Bastion, faced the Danube and guarded the river approach. The third, known as the Bastion of the Holy Hill, is remembered for a remarkable incident: when the Turks exploded a mine beneath it, a horseman was thrown from the top into the Danube, yet survived without injury to himself or his horse.
The fourth bastion, the Middle Bastion, defended the eastern landward side of the city. The fifth was called the New Bastion, built to strengthen the walls further. The sixth was known as the Imperial or Empress Bastion, and the seventh, the Hungarian Bastion, stood near the River Rab. At this last bastion, the Turkish governor was killed when the town was surprised by a night attack led by Christian forces.
The Surrounding Country and Defenses
Natural and Artificial Protection
The land surrounding Rab is mostly flat, making the city easy to approach but also easy to observe. The only nearby elevation was a small hill at some distance, which had been undermined so that it could be blown up if an enemy attempted to occupy it. Beyond this hill stood a watchtower in the open fields, used as a lookout to detect the approach of hostile forces Private Fun Tour Istanbul.
Sieges, Betrayal, and Recovery
A City Often Contested
Rab was besieged by Sinan Pasha during the reign of Sultan Murad III. The attackers suffered heavy losses, including twelve thousand men in a single assault. Despite this, the city eventually fell, not by force, but through the treachery of Count Hardegg, the governor. His betrayal cost him his life, for he was later executed in Vienna.
Only a few years later, the city was recaptured by surprise through a bold attack led by Count Schwarzenberg and Count Pálffy, during which many Turks were killed. A portion of the city gate, broken by a petard during this assault, was preserved as a memorial and can still be seen in part of the cathedral church.
Prisoners and a Dark Past
From Dungeon to Beggary
During the period of Turkish control, Rab contained a dark dungeon for Christian prisoners. It had no light except what entered through a small grate in the marketplace above. In later times, after the city was restored to Christian rule, this dungeon was no longer filled with prisoners. Instead, it became known as a place where Turks, now captives or freed but impoverished, begged for charity from passersby and sold neatly made whips, which they crafted during their unhappy confinement.
