Tatar Gate
In 1503 King Alexander Jagiellon granted a privilege to the residents of Vilnius to fortify the city with a defensive wall to repel the potential attackers, as at the beginning of the 16th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was facing a growing military threat from Muscovites and Crimean Tatars. According to the privilege, the wall should feature five gates – all leading to the most important cities. However, in the middle of the 17th century, the city of Vilnius had 10 gates.
How the Tatar gate looked like is unknown. Painter Juozas Kamarauskas portrayed the gates after 90 years when the gates were demolished. It is believed that the gate was built at the end of the 16th century. According to different sources, the gate tower was 3 storeys high. The tower stood near the Vingriai-Kačerga stream.
Learn more about why the Tatar gate was called Tatar by clicking this link.
Address: Totorių St. 2