Akkerman

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Shortened history of the castle :

The Byzantine fortress was first noted as Asperon, a name deriving from the local Turkish dialect which meant "white". The word "white" as a basis for the name of the city has persisted ever since.

From 1503 to 1918, the city was known as Akkerman, a Turkish word for "white fortress". From 1918 to 1944, the city was known by its Romanian name of Cetatea Albă, literally "white citadel".

In 1420, the citadel was attacked for the first time by the Ottomans, but defended successfully by Moldavian Prince Alexander the Kind. And in 1484, it was the last of the Black Sea ports to be conquered by the Ottomans. The Moldavian prince Stephen the Great was unable to aid in its defence, being under threat of a Polish invasion. The citadel surrendered when the Ottomans claimed to have reached an agreement with Prince Stephen, and promised safe passage to the inhabitants and their belongings; however, most of the city-dwellers were slaughtered.

Major battles between the Ottomans and the Russians were fought near Akkerman in 1770 and 1789. Russia conquered the town in 1770 and in 1806, but returned it after the conclusion of hostilities. It was not incorporated into Russia until 1812, along with the rest of Bessarabia.

In 1918 the city, along with the rest of Bessarabia, became part of Romania. In 1945, the Soviets divided Bessarabia and its southern sides (including Bilhorod) became part of the Ukrainian SSR, and after 1991, of nowadays Ukraine.

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