Soroca Fort, Medieval fortress in Soroca, Moldova.
Soroca Fort is a stone fortification in Soroca, Moldova, rising on a hill above the Dniester. The circular structure includes five massive towers with thick stone walls and narrow arrow slits distributed at regular intervals around the outer wall.
Stephen the Great ordered a wooden fortification built in 1499 to protect Moldova's northern border against Tatar raids. Petru Rareș commanded the stone reconstruction between 1543 and 1546 to strengthen defenses against Ottoman expansion.
Th e name Sor oca means 'magpie' in Romanian, and locals have long associated the bird with the watchfulness needed for border defense. Visitors today walk the same circular ramparts where Moldavian soldiers once scanned the river valley for approaching armies.
The fort sits on a hill overlooking the river, and visitors should wear sturdy shoes to handle the steep steps between levels. The upper tower levels offer wide views but are accessible only through narrow spiral staircases.
Three separate entrance gates with a portcullis system form a triple layer of defense that remains functional today. The wooden mechanisms for the drawbridge and metal grills have largely survived in their original condition.
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