Protecting Castles: This wall and the small buildings on it are all part of a battlement, which is an architectural feature. The top walled portion of a castle or fortress is known as a battlement. It is often made by a low, thin wall built on top of a fortress or castle's outermost protection wall. The idea is to make an attack up the outside of the fortress more dangerous because there are fewer openings through which an attacker could shoot arrows or lob stones.
Battlement - defined by Oxford Dictionaries as "a defensive structure formed of walls and towers within which an army can shelter while fighting off invaders."
So, the correct answer is "battlement".
The name "battlement" derives from an old French phrase that meaning "tower or turret," and battlements were originally used for defense. They are still found on many medieval castles around the world.
Do towers always have three walls? No, they can have more than three. Four-sided towers are very rare because it is difficult to build a strong foundation against opposing forces in all directions without using heavy materials such as stone or brick. However, there are examples of four-sided towers in some ancient cities such as Xi'an in China. These days they are mostly found on military bases or prisons.
Why are there so many different types of towers? There are several reasons why people choose to build their own towers. For example, if you are building a small garden tower then you should consider how much weight it will need to support itself. If it has sharp corners or edges then it will be harder for it to stay upright under stress. You might also want to build a smaller version of this structure later on so you don't waste material building something that will never reach its potential size. Some people also like testing their strength by building taller towers than others around them. This can be fun and rewarding but also dangerous if they are not careful not to fall off!
Battlements The battlements were the tops of the castle walls, a defensive, tooth-shaped parapet with a wall walk behind it for the troops to stand on. Missiles might be fired through gaps by the defenders (crenels). The elevated parts in between, known as merlons, provided protection for the defenders during an enemy onslaught.
Crenellations Small projections from the main body of the building, used as embrasures for guns mounted in the battlements.
Drawbridge A bridge that can be raised to block off an entrance or open up a exit from a fortress.
Guardroom Where guards could shelter from attacks, often containing weapons racks.
Moat The area outside the walls where water flows are made deeper so boats cannot get close enough to attack the fortification.
Narrow Neck A narrow isthmus connecting two points of land together. Narrow necks are difficult to defend because attackers can reach over the edge and shoot men in their backs.
Outwork A work placed outside the actual line of the fortress's wall. For example, a tower might be built at the end of a spur, or peninsula. It would not be considered part of the fortress itself, but rather its own independent entity.
Rampart The edge of the cliff or bank where the ground falls away sharply.
A battlement in defensive construction, such as that of city walls or castles, consists of a parapet (i.e., a protective low wall between chest-height and head-height) with openings or indentations at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other projectiles from within the structure. These projections are called "bastions".
The word comes from the French word bâtiment which means "building" and refers to these defenses. In medieval times, buildings with stone walls were common, so the term "bat" was used to describe any stone projection on the wall.
Battlement is usually applied to structures having one or more levels complete with defense systems, but it can also be applied to lower sections of walls where there is no intention to build up any further. So, for example, a bastion on a single level would be called a "one-storeyed battlement". One built without any further work being done on the face of the rock would be called a "freestanding battlement".
Battlement walls played an important role in military strategy during medieval times. They could be used to protect soldiers inside the fortress while missiles were being fired at the enemy outside the walls. Or they could be used to attack enemies trying to approach the wall unopposed.
The battlements were the tops of the castle walls, a defensive, tooth-shaped parapet with a wall walk behind it for the troops to stand on. The word comes from Latin muros "wall" and capsula "little capitol building", because medieval castles were usually made up of many rooms inside the walls.
Castles first came into use around 300 B.C. when Alexander the Great built some of them to protect his troops against attacks by wild animals. They later became important military tools, especially after the invention of gunpowder in A.D. 993. During the 11th century, knights from Europe's emerging kingdoms built large numbers of castles as their own version of armor, using them as bases from which to go on conquests. As well as protecting their people from attack, kings wanted to show that they were powerful leaders who could protect their subjects from enemies and other rulers.
During the late 12th century and early 13th century, civil wars and unrest caused by these wars led to a rise in popularity for castle building among the wealthy. These castles were often used as prisons until they were abandoned by their owners. Around this time, cannons began to be used as defenses instead of soldiers at the battles. This change in weaponry led to the decline of the castle as an effective fighting tool.
The main tower around which this was erected was still known as the Keep, and it was normally the tallest and most powerful building in the fortress. During a siege or invasion, it was also utilized as the last line of defense. A moat is a body of water that surrounds a castle's outer wall. The word comes from the Old French mouet, meaning "meadow" or "field." In modern times, the term has taken on its current meaning of "a large area of grass or other vegetation outside a city center."
These days, the word "keep" is used to describe the highest point of a castle structure. So, the keep of a castle is usually the tallest part of the fortress.
Besides the keep, other common names for the main tower are: donjon, pelerine, prison tower, royal guard tower, stern tower, war machine, watchtower, etc.
Here are some examples of donjons/keeps:
In England, the word "donjon" is used to describe the main tower of a medieval castle. It usually has a high vaulted ceiling, with room for up to 12 people underneath it. The word comes from the French word for "golden door," because during battles, the defenders would hide behind these doors.
There are also donjons in Asia.
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