The Tailors’ Bastion (Bastionul Croitorilor), is a remaining part of the fortification of the old citadel of Cluj-Napoca. It is the only fully preserved bastion and is located on the southeast corner of the citadel.
The bastion was built in the 15th century and guarded by the tailors’ guild. Between 1627 and 1629 the stronghold was rebuilt in its current form. To the north of the bastion, a piece of the stone fortification wall is still preserved.
In 1924 the Tailors’ Tower was restored to become a museum. Another restoration took place in 1959 but in the end, the tower was abandoned for two decades, causing disrepair.
In 2007 the municipality of Cluj-Napoca took care of another restoration to turn the bastion into a tourist sight. The tower is now used as an Urban Culture Center, hosting exhibitions, events, and conferences on its three floors.
Next to the Tailors’ Bastion stands a statue of Baba Novac, a general of Michael the Brave. Together with the priest Saski, he was tortured and murdered after the Battle of Mirăslău in 1600. His impaled body was exposed near the Tailor’s Bastion in 1601. The sculpture to commemorate Novac is the work of Virgil Fullicea and was erected in 1975.
