Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle
| Kam'ianets (Кам'янець) | |
| National Historical-Architectural Sanctuary | |
 Seven of the castle's original twelve towers dominate over the surrounding Smotrych River canyon landscape.
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| Country | Ukraine |
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| Province | Khmelnytskyi Oblast |
| Municipality | Kamianets-Podilskyi |
| Landmark | Complete list |
| Coordinates | 48°40′24″N 26°33′45″E / 48.67333°N 26.56250°ECoordinates: 48°40′24″N 26°33′45″E / 48.67333°N 26.56250°E |
| Length | 175 m (574 ft) |
| Width | 50 m (164 ft) |
| Area of castle | 8,750 m2 (94,184 sq ft) |
| - Area of sanctuary | 1,210,000 m2 (13,024,332 sq ft) |
| Established | |
| - Cultural Sanctuary | 1928 (Castle only) |
| - Architectural Sanctuary | May 18, 1977 (with Old Town) |
| Management | State Architectural and Construction Inspection Agency |
| Visitation | 100,000+ (2008) |
| Recognition | Seven Wonders of Ukraine |
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Website: niazkamenec |
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Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle (Ukrainian: Кам'янець-Подільська фортеця; Polish: twierdza w Kamieńcu Podolskim; Russian: Каменец-Подольская крепость; Turkish: Kamaniçe Kalesi) is a former Ruthenian-Lithuanian castle and a later three-part Polish fortress located in the historic city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine, in the historic region of Podolia in the western part of the country. Its name is attributed to the root word kamin', from the Slavic word for stone.
Historical accounts date Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle to the early 14th century, although recent archaeological evidence has proved human existence in the area back to the 12th or 13th century. Initially built to protect the bridge connecting the city with the mainland, the castle sits on top of a peninsula carved out by the winding Smotrych River, forming a natural defense system for Kamianets-Podilskyi's historic Old Town neighborhood.
Its location on a strategic transport crossroad in Podolia made the castle a prime target for foreign invaders, who rebuilt the castle to suit their own needs, adding to its multicultural architectural diversity. Specifically, the complex consists of the Old Town fortified by King Casimir IV, the Old Castle rebuilt by Kings Sigismund I and Stephen Báthory, and the New Castle founded by Kings Sigismund III and Władysław IV. However, in spite of the many architectural and engineering changes to the original structure, the castle still forms a coherent architectural design, being one of the few medieval constructions in Ukraine that is relatively well preserved.
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Wikipedia