Landmarks of Akkerman - Fortress

The site is a complex of buildings and fortifications that have survived from the ancient Greek city of Tyras (6th century BC - 4th century AD), early medieval town of Belgorod (6th-10th centuries) and Akkerman Fortress (12th-19th centuries) located on the Dniester Estuary in the present day city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky (Odessa Region, Ukraine).

Tyras founded by Greek colonists from Miletus and mentioned by Strabo, Ptolemy and Plinius has preserved the remains of houses, stone paved streets, water tunnels, headquarters of a Roman garrison (building of vexillatio) and fortifications built of massive limestone plates unknown anywhere else in the ancient Greek world. There are also remains of a single known in southwestern Ukraine Early Christian temple (5th-7th centuries AD).

The fortress is the only example of medieval military that has survived in southwestern Ukraine. Originally it had 3 gates, 20 towers, a defensive wall, a defense entrenchment and the earliest in Ukraine remains of Turkish architecture such as baths and a minaret.

The architectural ensemble of Tyras-Belgorod is best comparable to the world famous Chersonessos in the Crimea. In contrast to it, however, Greek and Roman structures from Tyras were neither dismantled nor built over during the Middle Ages and have preserved their authentic appearance and layout. Furthermore, while other similar sites in Ukraine have only foundations of Hellenic fortifications, Tyras offers a unique opportunity to observe the original defensive walls and towers up to 5 meters in height.

Tyras has preserved most of its original fortifications (walls, two towers, several cellars), remains of civil and residential structures of the 5th century BC - 5th century AD in the western part of the town as well as some medieval houses of the 13th - 15th centuries.

Of the fortress proper there have remained a twelfth century citadel, 20 towers, 3 gates, 70% of defensive walls, an entrenchment and a minaret of the Turkish mosque. Inside the citadel there are remains of a ceramic water pipe, a stone water pool, a heating furnace and underground galleries. The fortress and its structures have preserved authentic masonry made of locally quarried limestone blocks and mortar with a touch of sand and a small portion of pounded bricks. The walls have retained the original elements of Moldavian architecture of the 15th-16th centuries such as alternating layers of bricks and limestone blocks. Some of the walls and towers still have ancient reinforcing timbers and decorative details such as complex machicolations and engraved network and floral ornamentation.

Throughout the Middle Ages some original parts of the fortress have undergone rebuilding. In the nineteenth century the majority of structures inside it were taken down for stones and the drawbridge at the main gates was replaced with a stationary stone bridge across the entrenchment.Today degradation of the shoreline causes crumbling of bedrock that is threatening the northern wall and northeastern tower of the citadel with collapse and has already lead to deformations of structures and development of fissures up to 9 m in length and 30 cm in width. Weathering of the limestone blocks causes collapsing of vaulted structures and crumbling of masonry from walls and revetment of the entrenchment to the depth of 50 cm over the areas of 20-150 m². None of the applied protective measures has proven to be effective for the long term conservation of the entire complex because they have always focused on preservation of individual structures and architectural details rather than followed a comprehensive plan for preservation and further maintenance of the entire site. Realization of more elaborate projects has always stumbled against insufficiency of funds because of a low level of financing the preservation of cultural heritage from the state budget as well as underdevelopment of the private sector of economy and low living standard inhibiting the emergence of local patrons and charities capable of and willing to provide financial assistance for saving the monuments. In order to provide funds sufficient for restoration and rehabilitation of Tyras-Belgorod in January of 2004 the Ukrainian Government adopted the "Comprehensive Program for Restoration and Use of Akkerman Fortress in the City of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky" scheduled for realization from 2004 to 2011.

Investigations of Akkerman Fortress
Yuriy Boltryk and Svitlana Bilyayeva
Akkerman fortress is the largest monument of Islamic architecture in the northwestern part of the Pontic area, preserved till now in its most complete condition. The fortress is located on the cape which is on the right border of the Dnestr esturary, 18 km from the Black Sea. It is now the center of the modern town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskiy (Odessa region, Ukraine).
Since the end of the 15th century up to the end of the 18th century it was a military and trade outpost of the Ottoman Empire in this region. Ottoman Akkerman follows ancient traditions as a dominant place in the whole Pontic area. Cultural contacts between Europe and Asia were established through nomads and settlement of various peoples followed. The origin of the foundation of the fortress is unknown and some parts of the first fortification can still be found. The fortress consists of four parts. The square of the fortress is 9 hectares and the length of the outer walls is 2 km, with 26 towers.
The archaeological investigation of the fortress began at the beginning of the 20th century, but monuments of the Ottoman period were not under special consideration then. Turkish and Ukranian expeditions were excavating the Ottoman monuments in the fortress. These expeditions concentrated on the Quarantine court, where the Turkish bath was discovered, and where some of the elements of the "barbican gate" were also located. At present, 15% of the court is under investigation.
Fortifications and weapons, found in the fortress, reflect the military aspect of the fortress. Numerous artifacts that have been found point still to another side: economy, culture, and art. The scientific results of our investigations show the necessity of further complex research into the history and the culture of the Ottoman Empire and medieval Ukraine.
In 1999, during the excavation in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskiy (Akkerman) Bozkurt Ersoy discovered a Turkish bath in the Quarantine court of Akkerman fortress. The bath has been built at the end of the 15th/beginning of the 16th century. In the course of the excavation the main sections of a traditional Turkish bath and several service systems of the bath were discovered.
The Turkish bath in Akkerman is the only one in the North Pontic Area, besides Crimea. The collection of findings of material culture and art contains more than 6000 objects: coins, pipes ceramics, adornments. In 1999 –2001 campaigns monuments of Muslim architecture in the North Pontic area, in the Crimea, Podioliya and Bukovina in Ukraine were also investigated.
Yuriy Boltryk - born in 1949
M.A. history and archaeology (Kyiv University 1973), Ph.D. in history (Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 2002)
Doctor, senior scientific collaborator Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kyiv (1973-2004)
Address: 12, Geroiv Stalingrada ave., 04210, Kyiv – 210, Ukraine Tel.: (044) 418 2775 Fax.: (044) 418 3306 E-mail: IRA@IARH.KIEV.UA or akhamam@ua.fm or boltrik@iananu.kiev.ua
Svitlana Bilyayeva - born in 28.03.1946.
Finished Voronezh State University, specialist in the field of medieval archaeology and history (Old Russia, Medieval Ukraine, Ottoman period).
Doctor, senior scientific collaborator Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kyiv (1969-2004), Department of Old Russia and medieval archaeology. Head of the Turkish- Ukrainian expedition.
Address: 12, Geroiv Stalingrada ave., 04210, Kyiv – 210, Ukraine. Tel.: (044) 418 2775 Fax.: (044) 418 3306 E-mail: IRA@IARH.KIEV.UA or akhamam@ua.fm
Bozkurt Ersoy - born in 1953
Prof. Dr. and a specialist on Turkish-Islamic Architecture.
Present position: Professor in Art History, Department of Art History, Faculty of Letters, Ege University, Bornova – İzmir, Turkey.
Head of the Department of History of Art, Ege University, Faculty of Letters.
Address: Ege University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Art History, Bornova 35100 – Izmir / Turkey. Tel. 90-232-3880110 ext.1677 Fax. 90-232 – 3881102
E-mail. bozkurtersoy@edebiyat.ege.edu.tr