6/27/04:
Trakai Tour
On Sunday, June 27, we visited the castle of Trakai. Here's a
little history lesson:
"Trakai was founded in the 14th c. when
the Duke Kestutis moved his
residence from Old
Trakai to the Peninsular castle built at the istmus of Galvë and
Luka lakes. The other
castle was built on an island in the center of Galve lake, not far from
the first one. In
the 15th c. the Island castle seved as residence for the Grand Duke. A
settlement grew
around the castle. The approuches to the settlement were protected by
the Old Trakai,
Streva, Brazuole, Daniliskes and other castle hills.In the second half
of the 14th c. and
later Trakai was a major political and administrative centre of
Lithuania. At the end of
the 14th c. the Grand Duke Vytautas brought the Karaite and Tartar to
Lithuania to serve
as guards at the Duke’s castle and as personal guards of the Grand Duke
Vytautas
himself. In the 16th c. Trakai lost its importance as the political
centre. During the war
with Russia( 17th c.) the town was robbed and burnt down, the castles
destroyed."
Copied from
here.
One interesting aspect of Trakai is that
it is the home of the Karaims (Karaites?), a Turkish ethnic subculture
with similarities to Judaism. The Karaims were imported to
Lithuania by Duke Vytautas, originally to act as guards for the castle
and town of Trakai. The Karaims could be descendents of the
Khazars.
The castle has been renovated and
restored, any D&D player would love to run rampant in the place.
The castle walls. My panoramic
skills need some practice.
A cool lunch spot
Statue
of Lietuvios Didysis Kunigaikstis Gediminas, 1316-1341. Taken in
Vilnius.