13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside

Fort of St. Angelo became an impenetrable force after it faced the Ottoman Empire in 1565.

Malta seemed like a small Mediterranean island, not a worthy opponent for the great Ottoman power.600 knights of the Order of Malta ruled Fort Of St. Angelo (Malta).Enemies approaching caused them to poison wells and pull crops from fields, leaving little for the opposition if they won.

When 40,000 Ottoman soldiers arrived, they faced a tougher fight than planned. Spanish aid arrived after the battle started, and the Ottomans eventually pulled back.

Fans ofGame of ThronesFans may know Fort of St. Angelo because of thefort's underground tunnel systemArya Stark played there while exploring the Red Keep.

Fort George is one of Britain's toughest fortresses. It was built partly to send a message.

AfterFort George (UK) fought with the Jacobites.King George II finally defeated them in 1746. He wanted to stop any ideas of revolt. Thus, he ordered the huge Fort George built near Inverness.

If the Brits built the fort today, it would cost about 1 billion pounds. The fort houses 1,600 soldiers, stores over 2,500 gunpowder barrels, and includes a brewhouse and chapel.

The fort never fought in battle.Guns at the fort have never fired.The site now serves as a barracks for the Black Watch.Black WatchFort George (UK) today.

Fort Bourtange might be the most beautiful fort on this list architecturally. The fort has a star shape.Fort Bourtange (Netherlands) is designed in a star shape., allowing guards to see from nearly all angles when on patrol.

The fort began construction during the Eighty Years' War.This war lasted from 1568 to 1648., while the people of the Netherlands fought successfully for independence from Spain.

The fort strategically included a marsh around the pointed shape, making it nearly impossible for enemies to reach the building.

Agricultural practices dried up the swamp moat. The fort no longer needed for protection services. Today, it remains well-preserved, showing the Dutch fight for independence.

The Aljafería Palace was originallybuilt for recreation and leisure.The Aljafería Palace was originally [unspecified], but it remained heavily fortified. The fortress, in Spain, used desert castle styles from Syria and Jordan, mixing square structures with circular towers.

Constructed inthe 11th century, it changed ownership over the years, eventually becoming the home for the kings of Aragon.

The inner architecture of Aljafería Palace featured great detail. Intricate arches and murals decorated the halls, and carved artwork adorned the ceilings.

Locals call Yedikule Fortress the “Seven Tower Fort.” The fort was rebuilt several times after its original construction in the 4th or 5th century, around the 14th century.

During 14th-century renovations, two marble towers joined the fort's original five octagonal towers. These formed the pillars of what became the Golden Gate.The Golden Gate received a gold plating.This gate served as a grand entrance to the city.

The Golden Gate gives the fortress a beautiful look. It has a grim history too. The Ottoman Empire acted ruthlessly toward its rulers. For instance, after a sultan died, whoever took power killed the deceased sultan's brothers, uncles, and cousins to stop rebellion. Ottomans began to weaken as an empire when they adopted the Western rule letting the firstborn rule.

This context makes it understandable that teenager Sultan Osman II died in one of Yedikule Fortress towers in May 1622. An assassin killed him. What shocked people was the execution method:The execution involved the compression of testicles.Yedikule Fortress (Turkey) is on the list of 13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside.

The Red Fort gets its name from the thick, red sandstone used to build the fortress. Building the massive fort took nearly nine years; it covers over 250 acres.

Shah Jahan, a famous Mughal ruler, conceived the Red Fort. He wanted to move the capital from Agra to Delhi, so he needed a new palace to rule from—the Red Fort. Later rulers followed Shah Jahan's path, with the Red Fort holding the next many Mughal leaders—from 1648 to 1857.The Red Fort exists from 1648 to 1857.The Red Fort is on the list of 13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside.

The Red Fort held all the finest royal goods of the time. Baths once had hot and cold water, and one fountain dispensed rose water.One fountain dispensed rose water.The Red Fort is on the list of 13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside.

Fort Goryokaku was one of the first Western-style citadels built in Japan. Ironically, the fortress was built to defend Hakodate against Western aggression.

The fort then served as the final battleground for the Boshin War.The Boshin War ended in 1869, a civil war between Tokugawa shogunate troops and pro-Imperial Meiji soldiers. The shogunate lost. Afterward, the Hakodate Magistrate's Office building in the fort's center was destroyed. Foreign military advisors to the Shogun were among the last defenders. French officer Jules Brunet inspired Tom Cruise's character in The Last Samurai.Fort Goryokaku (Japan) was built in 1869 during a civil war between Tokugawa shogunate troops and pro-Imperial Meiji soldiers. The shogunate lost the war. Soon after, the Hakodate Magistrate's Office, at the fort's center, burned down. Foreign military advisors to the Shogun were among the last people left inside. French officer Jules Brunet inspired Tom Cruise's character in it.Fort Goryokaku (Japan) is on the list of 13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside.

Today, the fort functions as a public park. It holds over one thousand cherry blossoms.Over one thousand cherry blossoms exist.People planted these blossoms along the fortress's moats.

If you are not a World War I buffThis is a World War I buffThe French city of Verdun may not ring a bell. This city was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in World War I. Some 700,000 people died within the city limits.

Two fortresses protected Verdun: Fort Vaux and Fort Douaumont. Fort Douaumont hada seven-meter moat.30 meters of barbed wire and two layers of meter-thick concrete protected the fort. The French knew the new, heavy-duty Gamma guns the Germans used could cause damage.They stripped the fort of many guns.They decided to defend the city in other areas within the town.

In February 1916, Germans attacked the town. They quickly took the fort with little fighting.But Verdun itself was different. Five hundred thousand French soldiers fought hard against one million German invaders for ten months.Verdun city faced a different reality. Five hundred thousand French soldiers fought hard against one million German soldiers invading. The battle lasted ten months.

In late October, the French launched a final attack under thick fog. They won the battle.

The Masmak Fortress's exterior clay and mud suggest it is hundreds of years old. It was built before the modern advances of recent years.

However, the fort is only over 150 years old. It was built in 1865.It was built in 1865.The exterior lacks openings like windows or doors. This design made it hard for intruders to enter. One must pass through an opening big enough for only one person at a time.

The fortress matters in Saudi Arabia's history. King Abdulaziz almost died conquering the structure in 1932. If he had died there, Saudi Arabia might not have formed as a nation.Abdulaziz's cousin threw a spear.The spear became embedded in the gate during the fighting. You can still see the spear tip in the wood today.

Sacsayhuamán was the largest structure the Inca built during their reign. The fortress sits in Cuzco, the Inca capital. It is on high ground, letting guards see lands to the north.

The Inca built it in the 15th century using mud and clay. Later renovations shifted to stone, including blocks weighing over 100 tons. The Inca needed over 20,000 workers for this project. They built the structure using ramps, ropes, and levers over fifty years.They used ramps, ropes, and levers.This conflict spanned fifty years.

The walls reach 18 meters high and measure 540 meters long in some spots.

The sprawling complex's purpose is unclear. It may have served as a place for religious purposes and rituals.It may have been for religious purposes and rituals.Many artifacts show types of goods were stored at Sacsayhuamán, but there were also many other items found there.

The coastal Palmerston Forts are not the United Kingdom's preferred military choices. This expensive group of forts, eight in total, was never used.The group of forts was eight in total.The group of forts was eight in total.

Travel back to the 1860s.Tensions between France and Britain rose high.Napoleon III, Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew, became Emperor of France. British citizens feared the French might attack them soon.

The British military built forts around Plymouth and Portsmouth, the main naval shipyard in the country's south. Protecting the navy seems smart, but others argued the money should fund the military instead.

The forts were built over ten years. They intended to protect 'from the rear,' meaning the forts appeared to face backward to observers.

After all that time and money, the French never attacked. These forts proved unnecessary.

Fort Sumter holds an important place in American history books.Fort Sumter served as the birthplace of the Civil War.Fort Sumter is on the list of 13 Historical Forts We'd Feel Pretty Safe Inside.

Built after the War of 1812, Fort Sumter was one of fifty forts along the Eastern coast of the United States. They built it on a small, two-acre island to protect Charleston's harbor.

Construction began in 1829, but the fort lacked full supplies when South Carolina seceded from the United States in 1860.

Union soldiers occupied the fort by this time. The South Carolina militia wanted control. Tensions peaked after President Lincoln sent needed supplies to the stranded soldiers. The militia saw this as an 'act of aggression.'On April 12, 1861, the South fired on Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War.The South's firing on Fort Sumter officially began the Civil War.

When the Spainards first landed on the Philippines in the 16th century, they wanted to build defenses immediately. They leveled a Muslim kingdom site and started building Fort Santiago in Manila.They built Fort Santiago in Manila in the 16th century.The Spainards wanted to build defenses right away. They flattened a Muslim kingdom site and built Fort Santiago in Manila.

The original fort was weak, built from logs and soil. Chinese pirates quickly destroyed it. They built a stronger structure later using carved stone and mud cement.

A few hundred years later, the Japanese conquered the Philippines during World War II. The Japanese used Fort Santiago as a prison.The Japanese tortured up to 3,000 Filipinos and Americans inside Fort Santiago.The Japanese tortured up to 3,000 Filipinos and Americans within Fort Santiago's walls.