A Brief Study of The Castles and Fortresses of The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia and Its Role in Protecting the Kingdom 1199-1375 AD / 777-596 AH

Abstract

The Armenians Left Their Homeland, The Great Armenia, At the End of The Fifth Century Ah / Eleventh Century Ad, And Settled in South Asia Minor in The Form of Groups, Each of Which Owned a Castle, Or A Walled Village to Protect Its Possessions, Until They Were Able to Establish the Kingdom of Armenia Which Lived About Two Centuries of Time. It Was Known Throughout History as The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia, Whose First King Followed a Policy of Constructing and Restoring Castles, Then Connecting Them to A Wide Network of Communication Through Fire or Smoke Signals, So That They Could Easily Communicate With Each Other When Danger Approached. The Credit for The Survival of The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia Throughout This Period - In Military Terms - Is Due to Its Rugged Terrain and Its Possession of Many Castles Built or Restored by Armenians in Their Kingdom. Moreover, The Castles and Forts of The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia Were Divided, According to The Nature of The Place in Which They Were Constructed, Into Three Types: Mountain Castles Were Built on High, Hard-To-Reach Rocky Outcrops, And Most of Them Had Only One Door to Enter. Steppe Castles Were More Complex in Architecture and Were Built in The Vast Plains of Cilicia Which Lie Between Taurus, Amanus, And Antarsus Mountain Ranges. Sea Forts Were Built Either on Islands in The Middle of The Sea Surrounded by Water from All Sides or Directly on The Coast, these castles played an important and distinct role in extending the life of the kingdom and defending it