Some of the world’s most amazing buildings were built for protection, not beauty. Hundreds of years ago, people in different parts of the world had many rulers. The rulers often fought each other. Powerful rulers built castles to live in with their family, helpers, priests, soldiers – and farm animals!
Many of the castles were made of stone. Often they were built around an open courtyard. They had high walls that could be built 10 metres thick to protect against enemies. Some castles had towers at each corner.
Sometimes the walls were surrounded with deep, wide ditches that were usually filled with water. These were called moats. To protect the castle, guards looked out from the towers and walked along the tops of the walls. They hid behind stone fences called battlements and shot arrows at attackers. When visitors came, the guards would lower a drawbridge so that people could walk or ride across the moat. Then they would have to pass a gatehouse.
Inside, there was a large room where people met and ate meals. A huge fire in the fireplace too away the chill. So did tapestries, or hanging cloths, placed around the castle walls. People spread sweet-smelling plants on the floors and changed them every month.
Castles had a kitchen, a chapel in which to pray, and rooms for the family. They also had a barracks, or sleeping room, for soldiers. Many had dungeons in which to keep prisoners.
In many places around the world, ancient castles still stand. One is the Tower of London on the River Thames in London, England. This group of stone buildings has a wall and moat surrounding it. The Tower of London was first built as a castle in the 1000’s. In later times, it was a palace and a prison. Today it is a museum.
The Loire River Valley in France is famous for its many castles, called chateaux in French. One of the oldest French chateaux is in Angers. Visitors can still see the remains of the 17 towers and the moat. This chateau as built in the early 1200’s.
In Syria, near the northern border of present-day Lebanon, is a castle called Krak des Chevaliers. This fortress was built by crusaders during the 1100’s.
Picture Credit : Google