Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy Fortress

Akkerman Fortress or Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy fortress is the largest fortress on the territory of Ukraine. It is located in Belgorod Dnestrovskiy town in Odessa region.

Fortress was built in the 13th century by (Genoans) Genoese on the bank of the Dniester estuary, the place of the ancient Greek city Turis. Originally a castle – fortress was designed to protect the trade route.
In the 13th century, the Belgorod land becomes a part of Moldavian principality, and the fortress was significantly expanded.

In the 14th century during the Turkish War, after 16 days of siege the fortress fell. It was captured by Turks and renamed in Ak Kerman which means White Castle. In the 15th century, Belgorod was not simply a guarding castle-fortress, but the complex fortification system consisting of blocks-yards Quarantine, Civil and Garrison. Number of towers has grown to 35, walls height - to 7 meters, the fortress was surrounded by a ditch, which depth was about 26 m and width - more than 10 m.

Under Turkish domination, Akkerman often fought, also with Ukrainian Cossacks, led by well-known Hetmans Ivan Sirko and Semen Paliy. More than 300 years the fortress belonged to Turks and Tatars, which were specially moved here. In 1806 during the Russian-Turkish War the fortress was taken by Russian troops, Tatars were forcibly evicted, and the fortress became "free settlement". So Bulgarians and Romani appeared in the Akkermann, and after the decree of Catherine - German and Swiss colonists. For many millennia, the city has repeatedly changed its name and the governor. At the moment, it's a part of the Ukrainian state.

Today, the ruins of Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy fortress is a place of holding various annual folklore and historical festivals, including costumed knight's tournaments. The complex consists of castle walls and towers, walls’ thickness ranges from 3 - 5 meters.