Tower of Kamianiec, Defense tower in Kamieniec, Belarus
The Tower of Kamianiec is a round brick fortification in the town of Kamieniec in Belarus, rising 31 meters above the ground. Its five interior levels are linked by wooden beams, while the outer walls measure 2.5 meters in thickness.
Between 1276 and 1288, the architect Alexa built this defensive structure on the orders of Prince Vladimir Vasylkovich. The fortification formed a central part of the town's defense system during medieval border conflicts.
The structure takes its name from the Volhynia region, which shaped the architectural traditions of this border territory between East and West. Visitors today can still see the finger marks pressed into the red bricks by the medieval craftsmen who built it.
The structure now holds a museum with guided tours that explain medieval fortification techniques. Visitors can climb to the upper platform and look out over the surrounding countryside.
This is the only surviving tower of its kind in Belarus and shows a construction method with bricks marked by finger impressions. These marks probably helped to monitor the work of individual craftsmen.
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