The Tower of Kamyenyets is often called White Tower actually the main landmark of the town of Kamianiec in Belarus. It is constructed in 1271-1289 by architect Oleksa, on the northern border of the Principality of Volhynia. The Tower has been constructed with a red brick through the ages, gets never white.
The Tower of Kamyenyets is the main landmark of the area, and standing atop gives a majestic view of Liasnaja River. However, it was erected in the 1270s, but the foundation date is referring to 1276. These days, the tower is the national historic site of Belarus and was converted into a regional museum in 1960. As time passes, there were similar towers being built in different areas but badly destroyed in course of wars.
The tower is 98 feet high, and red brick walls are approximately 8.2 feet thick with a pitched roof at the top. The tower of Kamyenyets was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on January 30, 2004, in the Cultural category. The tower was completely constructed with red brick giving it really a unique look.
Therefore, distinct from the narrow loopholes on lower levels, the pointed big lancet windows and niches on the upper floor are an outstanding example of early Gothic architecture in Belarus. The opening windows were plastered and whitewashed; permitting entry into the apartments.
The upper part of the tower was furnished with battlements and a pattern of surface modeling of the brickwork, with the addition of several nice ring-dong tooth courses running below the battlements. Moreover, the brickwork features a peculiar Baltic bond, and some bricks on the exterior were damaged or dismantled by the local peasants.
The tower is so special for tourism in Belarus, survived various wars and savagery. Unluckily, the tower has diminished its defensive values over time, and several attempts made to dismantle him in order to get the red bricks. Nonetheless, people found out that it was unbearable: the bricks turned into rough stone, reluctant to dismantle. The five-tier round building was built for defensive purposes and so lacks architectural and decorative elements. In its place, it has thin portholes and four flat niches with semicircular ends.
Moreover, the top part of the tower, which was an observation platform, is well surrounded by 14 rectangular merlons with apertures and a decorative strip runs around the top of the tower.
