![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/52C8D019-9023-4ADA-A5FC-77636431A49B/CY03CR.jpg)
Mirsky Castle Complex (also known as Mir Castle) in Belarus.
The Mirsky Castle Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus located in the town of Mir. The construction of the castle began at the end of the 15th century in the Gothic architecture style. Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century near the village of Mir. Around 1568 the Mir Castle passed into the hands of Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł, who finished building the castle in the Renaissance style. A three-storey palace was built along the eastern and northern walls of the castle. After being abandoned for nearly a century and suffering severe damage during the Napoleonic period, the castle was restored at the end of the 19th century. The Sviatopolk-Mirski family owned the castle up to 1939. During WWII the Nazi occupying force used it as a ghetto for the local Jewish population prior to their liquidation. Between 1944 and 1956, the castle was used as a housing facility, which partially damaged the castle's interior. In December, 2000, the Mir Castle was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
Size: 5400px × 3744px
Location: Mir Castle, Belarus
Photo credit: © Neil Harris / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: belarus, belorussiya, castle, complex, ghetto, heritage, jewish, liquidation, mir, mirsky, nazi, radziwiłł, republic, site, unesco, world, ww11, ww2, Белару́сь, Беларусь, Белоруссия