🇹🇷 Turkey · Fortress
Toprakkale (Rusahinili)
Urartian (735–714 BCE) · Urartian (Rusa I)
Urartian (735–714 BCE) fortress of Urartian (Rusa I) in Van Province, Van Plain (c.735 BCE).
🇮🇷 Iran · Fortress
Ziwiye (Ziviyeh)
Iron Age III (900–600 BCE) · Mannaean–Scythian
Iron Age III (900–600 BCE) fortress of Mannaean–Scythian in Kurdistan Province, Saqqez (c.750 BCE).
🇹🇷 Turkey · Fortress
Patnos / Aznavur Tepe
Urartian (810–730 BCE) · Urartian (Menua)
Urartian (810–730 BCE) fortress of Urartian (Menua) in Ağrı Province, Patnos Plain (c.800 BCE).
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Fortress
Berkut-Kala
Kushan (100 BCE–300 CE) → Afrighid Khwarazm (400–800 CE) → abandon desertification · Khwarazmian (Kushan–Afrighid) with Bactrian influence
Kushan–Afrighid desert fortress town (c.100 BCE–800 CE) in the Berkut-Kala oasis on the northern Amu Darya delta near Ellikkala — 8 ha square fortified palace with 2 km wall (Afrighid Khwarazmian)…
🇵🇪 Peru · Fortress
Acaray Fortress
Late Intermediate – Late Horizon (c.900–1470 CE) Huaura – Chancay – Inca · Huaura – Chancay (Coastal)
Acaray (often misattributed as 'Inca fortress') crowns a tabular hill 6 km inland in the lower Huaura Valley, Lima, at 250 m.
🇩🇰 Denmark · Fortress
Hammershus
High–Late Medieval Bornholm 1259–1658 (Lund Archbishop Danish struggle) · Medieval Bornholm (Lund Archbishop vs Danish crown, Hammershus feud 1259)
Hammershus — largest medieval fortress ruin in Scandinavia (c.1259 Archbishop Jacob Erlandsen, Lund–Danish struggle 13th c) on Hammeren granite promontory 74 m a.s.l.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Mirgissa Fortress — Egyptian Middle Kingdom
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty–New Kingdom · Ancient Egyptian (fortified settlement)
Greatest of Middle Kingdom Nubian forts, originally named Iken, built by Senusret III at narrow Second Cataract gorge on west bank, comprising a massive outer fortress enclosing harbour and an inner…
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Buhen Fortress — Great Walled Town
Old Kingdom precursors; Middle Kingdom–New Kingdom · Ancient Egyptian
Southernmost bastion of Egyptian 12th Dynasty canal road, first founded as Old Kingdom copper smelting settlement (2500 BCE) then rebuilt by Senusret I and massively expanded by Senusret III as…
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Askut Fortress — Island Stronghold
Middle Kingdom–New Kingdom · Ancient Egyptian
Compact island fortress mid-stream in Batn el-Hajar (≈ 351 km south of Aswan) built by Senusret III on narrow Askut Island between Shalfak and Mirgissa, controlling the rock-choked channel where…
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Fortress
Chilhudzhra
Sogdian 5th–8th c → Samanid–Karakhanid 10th–13th c · Sogdian → Samanid Islamic (Zeravshan valley)
Chilhudzhra (Fortress of Forty Daughters) — Sogdian–Islamic mountain fortress (5th–13th c CE) 60 km east Panjakent, Zeravshan valley Fann foothills, excavated 1960s–80s Negmatov and Pulatov.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · Fortress
Kafir-Kala
Hephthalite–Sogdian 5th–8th c CE → Samanid 9th–10th c · Sogdian Samarkand (Zarafshan) → Samanid
Kafir-Kala — Sogdian dihqan (landlord) fortress-palace (5th–8th c CE) 12 km SE Samarkand, Dargham canal, excavated 1970s–2000s Berdimuradov (Samarkand Institute).
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Fortress
Karon (Darvaz Karon)
Kushan–Sasanian 1st–7th c → Samanid–Timurid 10th–15th c · Kushan–Sasanian → Samanid → Timurid Pamiri (Darvaz)
Karon — Pamir mountain city-fortress (1st–15th c CE) 2000 m on Darvaz plateau, Panj gorge, excavated 2010s Bobomulloev (Tajik Academy).
🇹🇯 Tajikistan · Fortress
Hulbuk
Samanid 9th c → Ghaznavid–Karakhanid 10th–12th c · Banijurid–Ghaznavid Islamic (Khatlon)
Hulbuk (Qalai Hulbuk) — Islamic palace-fortress (9th–12th c CE) 26 km west Kulob, Khatlon Yakhsu plain, excavated 1953–2010s Yakubov and Akhunov (Tajik Academy).
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
Kumma Fortress — Semna East
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty · Ancient Egyptian
Rectangular eastern counterpart to Semna West across the 500 m Semna gorge, built to close the eastern channel and form a fortified river gateway with coupled gate signals.
🇦🇲 Armenia · Ancient city
Erebuni Fortress
Urartian (782 BCE Argishti I) · Urartu
Domineering hill citadel (Arin Berd) whose cuneiform foundation stele says Argishti son of Menua built on empty land and brought 6,600 captives.
🇮🇷 Iran · Fortress
Qaleh Rostam
Neolithic to Achaemenid (c.7000 BCE–330 BCE; Achaemenid fortress c.550 BCE) · Neolithic Bakhtiari → Achaemenid pastoral fortress
Bolaghi valley Achaemenid route fortress (550 BCE) over Neolithic knoll between Pasargadae and Persepolis.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Fortress
Mixco Viejo
Classic · Maya/Andean
Mixco Viejo — fortified hilltop twin capital.
🇩🇿 Algeria · Fortress
Lambaesis Legionary Camp (Tazoult)
Roman (81 CE – 5th c CE; legionary base 123–238 CE) · Roman (Legio III Augusta)
Africa's largest legionary fortress, Lambaesis housed 6,000 men of III Augusta with principia, baths, amphitheatre, aqueduct and arch of Commodus. Headquarters shrine and numerus i...
🇪🇬 Egypt · Fortress
Tell el-Retaba (Wadi Tumilat Fortress)
Second Intermediate to Saite (c. 1800–525 BCE; Hyksos–Ramesside fortress) · Hyksos / New Kingdom Egyptian (Ramesside)
Wadi Tumilat gate fortress claimed as biblical Pithom/Succoth, with Hyksos glacis and Ramesside Tjeku fortress of Seti I (Pr-Atum). Excavated by Naville, Petrie and Polish mission...
🇱🇾 Libya · Fortress
Boreum (Al Burdi) – Desert Frontier Tower
Ptolemaic to Byzantine (3rd c BCE – 7th c CE) · Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine (Cyrenaica–Marmarica)
Desert–lagoon frontier tower at Marmarica's Cyrenaica edge, Boreum guarded the coastal road's last water before Egyptian desert and lagoon fishery.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Fortress
Henchir Sidi Amara – Roman–Byzantine Fort
Roman to Byzantine (2nd–7th c CE) · Roman / Byzantine
Frontier fortlet on steppe ridge with Roman farm and Byzantine quadrangle fort (80×60 m) reusing inscriptions, on Thelepte–Cillium road.
🇩🇿 Algeria · Fortress
Thamallula (Theniet Belezma)
Roman (1st–5th c CE) · Roman (Numidia)
Pass fort on northern Aurès road, Thamallula guards the Belezma gap with courtyard fortress and road village.