Transnistria: Bendery Fortress (Revisited)
he number one attraction in Transnistria is the perfectly preserved 16th century Bendery aka Tighina Fortress. Originally built by Ottowan Turks and Suleiman the Magnificent, the citadel survived a lot of important events related to the military history: the Ottomans’ conquests, endless wars, including the one between Russia and Sweden and Turkey and the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian hetmans, and Romanian kings at one time or another. In the 18-19th centuries, it was the sight of intense battles in the Russo-Turkish wars, changing hands multiple times and eventually became a major Russian outpost. Since my previous trip here, the entire fortress restoration has been completed and it looks amazing – the towers, the walls, the main gates, and there are even several awesome museums, including the torture museum. Absolutely fantastic and a must-see.
