The historic center of Minsk consisted of a number of historic districts the names of which have survived to the modern day.
The first historical mention of Minsk dates back to the year 1067 in relation to the Battle on Nemiga. This is where Minsk was founded as a boundary outpost for the Polotsk Principality. The place where the Nemiga river flowed into the Svislach river is where the center of the city was, and the broader area included several districts.
The Lower Market district was located to the north of the Minsk Castle, built in the XI century. The Upper Market was located to the south of the Minsk Castle. The Trinity Suburb is located across the Svislach River from the Lower Market Square. Further north from the Trinity Suburb was the Storozhovka area. To the east of this historic city centre was the Zalataya Horka district, while to the west and north-west lay the Rakov District and the Tatar Slabada.
These districts evolved and changed throughout time, but their historical names have survived to refer to the modern districts of Minsk that currently occupy the city centre.