Afortified tower (alsodefensive tower orcastle tower or, in context, justtower) is one of the defensive structures used infortifications, such ascastles, along withdefensive walls such ascurtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fulfil different functions.
Square or rectangular towers are easy to construct and give a good amount of usable internal space. Their disadvantage is that the corners are vulnerable tomining. Despite this vulnerability, rectangular towers continued to be used, and Muslim military architecture generally favoured them.[1]
Round towers, also called drum towers, are more resistant tosiege technology such as sappers andprojectiles than square towers. The round front is more resistant than the straight side of a square tower, just as a load-bearingarch. This principle was already understood in antiquity.[1]
Thehorseshoe-shaped (or D-shaped) tower is a compromise that gives the best of a round and a square tower. The semicircular side (the one facing the attacker) could resist siege engines, while the rectangular part at the back gives internal space and a large fighting platform on top.[1] The large towers atKrak des Chevaliers and thegate towers atHarlech Castle are good examples. Armenian castles such asLampron also favoured this style.
A common form is an octagonal tower, used in somebergfrieds and atCastel del Monte in Italy.
There are also hybrid shapes. For instance, the keep atChâteau Gaillard is slightly bent forward, but also has a triangular beak to deflect projectiles.
Wall towers, also known as mural towers, provide flanking fire (fromcrossbows or other projectile weapons) to a straight part of the curtain wall.Corner towersenfilade the two adjoining wall faces. If corner towers are far apart, additionalflanking towers may be added between them. Towers in an outer curtain wall are often open at the back.
Particularly large towers are often the strongest point of the castle: thekeep or thebergfried. As the gate is always a vulnerable point of a castle, towers may be built near it to strengthen the defences at this point. In crusader castles, there is often agate tower, with the gate passage leading through the base of the tower itself. In European castles, it is more common to have flanking towers on either side of the gatehouse.
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