The Forkesch Gate Tower (Turnul de poartă Forkesch), also known as the Goldsmiths’ Tower (Turnul Aurarilor), is a medieval gate tower on the southern side of the historic center of Mediaș. Built in the early 16th century, it guarded one of the three principal entrances through the outer city fortifications and was maintained and defended by the town’s goldsmiths’ guild.
The massive rectangular tower rises through three levels beneath a steep pyramidal roof. Narrow firing openings survive in the masonry, while a projecting wooden guard gallery runs beneath the roofline. Until 1880, the upper part of the tower also carried a clock that struck the hour by gong.
A surviving section of the southern fortification wall is attached to the tower’s eastern side, with a reconstructed wooden wall-walk following the inner face of the masonry. The tower itself has also been adapted for exhibitions, and its interior can sometimes be visited by arrangement through the local tourist or museum services.
