Soroca is a city and municipality[2] in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about 160 km (99 mi) north of Chișinău.

It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare in Romanian) in 1499.

Between 1543 and 1546, under the rule of Peter IV Rareș, the fort was rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.

During the Great Turkish War, John III Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fort against the Ottomans.

Soroca became a regional center featuring large squares, modernized streets, hospitals, grammar schools and conventionalized churches.

[3] The town's sizeable Jewish populated was murdered in the Holocaust during World War II.