Secular structure, Military / Fortifications

Agra Fort
Agra Fort is a 16th century Mughal red sandstone fortress. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here.
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Bahla Fort
Bahla Fort comprises the ruins of a typical Omani military fortress, built by the local Banu Nabhan tribe that ruled between the mid-12th and 15th centuries.
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Belfries
The Belfries of Belgium and France are 54 bell-towers, built between the 11th and 20th centuries. They are mostly found in town centers, and connected to the local town hall or church.
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Bellinzone
The Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-town of Bellinzone are the well-preserved remnants of a defensive stronghold guarding a main pass in the Alps.
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Brimstone Hill Fortress
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is one of the best preserved historical military fortifications in the Americas, designed by the British and built by slaves.
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Castel del Monte
Castel del Monte is a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture. Its form is perfect, its design a harmonious blend of cultural elements from Classical antiquity, Muslim architecture and the Cistercian Gothic of northern Europe.
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Crac des Chevaliers
The Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din are the most significant remaining examples of fortresses dating from the Crusader period.
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Dacian Fortresses
The Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains are Iron Age defense works built as protection against Roman conquest.
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Defence Line of Amsterdam
The Defence Line of Amsterdam was built between 1883 and 1920 to guard the capital Amsterdam. It is the only example of a fortification based on the control of water.
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Derbent
The Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent are part of a strategic Sasanian defence system from the 5th century.
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Durham Castle and Cathedral
Durham Castle and Cathedral are the largest and most impressive examples of Norman architecture in England.
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Elvas
The Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications comprise a frontier town that was strongly fortified from the 17th to 19th century.
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Fort and Shalamar Gardens
The Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore are masterpieces from the time of the Mughal civilization. Lahore Fort is a trapezoidal composition spread over 20 hectares.
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Fort Jesus
Fort Jesus, Mombasa is a Portuguese fort built in 1593. It was built in the shape of a man (viewed from the air), and was given the name of Jesus.
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Fortifications of Vauban
The Fortifications of Vauban are twelve groups of fortified buildings that form a defensive ring around France.
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Fortified City of Carcassonne
The Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne is a medieval town which structure has evolved since the Late Roman period.
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Fortress of Suomenlinna
The Fortress of Suomenlinna are military fortifications built on six islands to guard the entrance to Helsinki's harbour.
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Forts and Castles Gold Coast
"Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions" is the collective designation of Western-style fortifications and outposts (mostly Portuguese, Dutch and British) along the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the colonial period.
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Frontiers of the Roman Empire
The Frontiers of the Roman Empire is a serial site that comprises parts of the Limes Romanus, a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome.
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Great Wall
The Great Wall is a masterpiece of construction of ancient China that has also high symbolic value. The stone and earthen fortifications in northern China were built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups.
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Gwynedd Castles
The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd are four groups of late 13th-century and early 14th-century militairy fortifications.
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Himeji-jo
Himeji-jo is a well preserved wooden castle, combining both functional use and aesthetic appeal. The castle is also known as Shirasagi, the white heron, because of its gracefulness.
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Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress is a highlight in 18th century military architecture, combining features from East and West.
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Kaiping Diaolou
The diaolou of Kaiping are fortified multi-storey towers, built by returning Chinese immigrants from America, Canada, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
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Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan, which was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans.
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Kernavë Archeological Site
Kernavë Archeological Site represents an exceptional testimony to some 10 millennia of human settlements in this region.
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Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle is a Renaissance castle, built in 1574-1585 by Danish King Frederik II. It has played a significant role in the history of this part of northern Europe, because of its strategic position between the North Sea and the Baltic.
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La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza and San Juan Historic Site in Puerto Rico played a strategic role at the beginning of the Spanish colonization.
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Malbork Castle
The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is an architecturally influential brick castle complex built by the Teutonic Knights.
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Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, or large mesa, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea.
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Mazagan
The Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) is a port city on the Atlantic coast which was seized in 1502 and subsequently ruled by the Portuguese until 1769.
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Mir Castle
The Mir Castle Complex is a central European castle typical for the region. The castle is located at Mir - a small town on the banks of the river Mirunka in the district of Korelichy within the county of Grodno.
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National History Park
National History Park - Citadel, Sans-Souci, Ramiers is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere, and was built when Haiti became a free republic.
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Portobelo-San Lorenzo
The Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo form part of the defence system built by the Spanish Crown to protect transatlantic trade.
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Qal'at al-Bahrain
Qal’at al-Bahrain is the archaeological site of a port which was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization, and served more recently as a Portuguese fort.
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Quseir Amra
Quseir Amra is an early 8th century Umayyad building known for its well-preserved wall paintings. It is considered one of the most important examples of early Islamic art and architecture.
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Red Fort
The Red Fort Complex is considered the final flourishing of Mughal architecture, combining Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.
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Rohtas Fort
Rohtas Fort is an example of early Muslim militairy architecture. It blends architectural and artistic traditions from Turkey and the Indian sub-continent to create the model for Mughal architecture.
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San Pedro de la Roca Castle
San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba, is a 17th century fortress which is considered the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture.
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Tower of London
The Tower of London is a palace-fortress that is the best-preserved example of a royal Norman castle.
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