Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress (or Akkerman fortress) is a historical and architectural monument of the 13th-14th centuries. It is located in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odessa region (southwestern Ukraine).

History

Start of construction

The fortress was based on the remains of the Tyras, ancient Greek city on the northern coast of the Black Sea. It stayed there to the IV century. But frequent attacks of invaders destroyed the policy. At first, the city was destroyed by the Goths, then by Huns. Antes, Slavs and Bulgarians lived at the side of Tyras after the Greeks. According to historians in the tenth century Belhorod was part of Kievan Rus’, later it was owned by the Kingdom of Hungary, and then - The Principality of Galicia–Volhynia where it stayed up to the invasion of the Mongols.[citation needed]

It is not known when Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress was founded. Now most historians believe that its founders was the Genoese, who came to the Black Sea in the thirteenth century. What`s more, this territory surrendered to the Golden Horde at that time. But somehow cunning Genoese agreed with the Mongols. Belgorod was officially Tatars’ city, but it was ruled by the Genoese. The fortress had to control the Dniester estuary.[citation needed]

In the second half of the 14th century Genoese lost their influence in the Black Sea. They did not have the opportunity to pass the Aegean Sea, because of increasing of Turkish military pressure. According to majority of historians, Lithuania came to replace Genoa. In the 14th century the Principality of Moldavia won the control over the Lithuanians.[citation needed]

Moldavian period

The territory went under the control of the Principality of Moldavia. Belhorod was called Cetatea Alba - "Chetyatya Albay" (literally the White Citadel) by the Moldavians. In the 15th century the city was as a real metropolis. There were near 20 thousands of inhabitants - Moldavians, Greeks, Genoese, Armenians, Jews, Tatars. It was the beginning of the greatest development of the city. The city was based on...