Fortified tower

Lore & Background

Fortified towers have been built in a variety of shapes, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Rectangular or square towers are easy to construct and provide ample internal space, but their corners are vulnerable to mining. Despite this, they continued to be used, though it is a misconception that Muslim military architecture generally favored them; many Islamic fortifications, such as those of the Ayyubids and Mamluks, employed round or polygonal towers, as seen at the Citadel of Aleppo. Round towers, also called drum towers, are more resistant to siege technology such as sappers and projectiles because their curved front distributes force like a load-bearing arch, a principle understood since antiquity.

Reader's Guide

The horseshoe-shaped or D-shaped tower represents a compromise, combining the resistance of a round front with the internal space and fighting platform of a square back. Notable examples include the large towers at Krak des Chevaliers and the gate towers at Harlech Castle. Armenian castles such as Lampron also favored this style. Polygonal forms, such as octagonal towers, appear in some bergfrieds and at Castel del Monte in Italy. Hybrid shapes also exist, like the keep at Château Gaillard, which has a triangular beak to deflect projectiles.

Did You Know?

• Rectangular towers are vulnerable to mining at their corners.
• Round towers are also called drum towers.
• Horseshoe-shaped towers combine a round front with a rectangular back.