Crusader Castles in the Holy Land 1097–1192

	Autor: David Nicolle Data publikacji: 2004-07-25 ISBN: 9781841767154 (1841767158) Wydawca: OSPREY Wymiary: 248 x 184mm 55.00 zł
	Ilość:
W przypadku braku książki w magazynie, czas realizacji zamówienia może wynieść 3-6 tygodni.

Opis produktu:
The Crusaders that landed in the Middle East in the late-11th century brought with them their own varied traditions of military architecture. They soon began repairing, extending and building many fortifications, chiefly to deal with specific military situations or threats, and their designers drew upon what seemed most suitable in the circumstances. The military architecture of the Crusader States reflected a broad array of influences, in addition to the inventiveness of those who actually designed it. During the 12th century, the experience of local builders skilled in the construction of substantial stone vaulting, broad arches, domes and other complex load-bearing structures became available to the conquerors. Byzantine forms of military architecture in northern Syria were soon added to the Western European design concepts of the early Crusaders. Within a few decades these newcomers were also learning from their Muslim neighbours, especially in making greater use of topographical features to strengthen a fortified site. Most early structures remained relatively small. The vast sums of money and effort expended on larger and more elaborate fortifications was characteristic of the 13th rather than the 12th century, and the towering castles whose photographs illustrate histories of the Crusades actually survive in a 13th-century or even a post-Crusader-Islamic form. In the early period, there was a tendency to increase the number of existing defensive features whilst shying away from incorporating new ones. Hence walls, towers, fosse ditches were multiplied and the natural defensive features of a site were enhanced. There were several basic forms of what can loosely be called Crusader fortifications: the freestanding tower, the castrum, hilltop and spur-castles, and motte and bailey castles. The inability of several Crusader fortifications to withstand enemy sieges became apparent in the 1160s and 1170s, when the Mamluk Sultanate’s huge timber-framed stone-throwing machines first appeared on the scene: this resulted in the construction of bigger, stronger and notably more expensive castles, including sophisticated concentric castles. This title takes a close look at the 12th-century fortifications erected by the Crusaders in modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and south-eastern Turkey.