The fortress on the high rocky bank of Dnestrovski liman is an outstanding monument of Middle Age architecture. It has a form of irregular polygon with the size of 90000 square meters. The length of its walls is about 2500 meters, average height is 5 meters and average width is 2 meters. Tree sides of the fortress are surrounded by the ditch of 14 meters depth. The main entrance is closed by a wooden suspension bridge that weights 3 tons (in fact haven't seen it closed yet, it is always opened for tourists ;-).
The building of the fortress was started by Genoese in the XII century, continued by Moldavians and finished by Turks in the XV century. In general, it was used for the defense of Belgorod from multiple attacks of various enemies. So each time any aggressor state made an attempt to take under control the trade route from the West to the East, the citizens of Belgorod found shelter in the fortress.
In spite of many historical events that took place in the fortress, it is one of the few historical monuments in Ukraine that preserved its original structure from Middle Ages. The fortress attracts a lot of foreign tourists: the charge is only a couple of dollars per person, though local kids know how to get inside free of charge.
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