Meghri fortress
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| The fortress of Meghri
is a mediaeval Armenian architectural monument. It is situated
on the tops of the mountain surrounding the town and holds the
town as horseshoe from the north. The fortress of Meghri was first
mentioned in 1083. It was completely reconstructed in the 18th
c. With its architectural composition Meghri fortress is a unique
example of Armenian fortification technique. The fortress has
not walls. The inclined sides of the mountain chain replace the
high walls. 6 firm towers are built of fallow granite stones on
the tops of the mountain chain. 4 of them are round and the other
two are rectangle. The bases of the round towers are perimeters
with 5.5 m external diameter. The walls of the towers are narrowed
from outside to the up keeping the building firm and durable.
Oak wood joists are used along the all towers to protect the fortress
from the earthquake. The towers were two-storied. The chess- and
ray-shaped weapon emplacements of the towers are all around the
fortress. In the late Mediaeval when firearms were used it was
possible to bombard the town’s important points from the towers
of the fortress. The southern part of the town was protected by
the river Meghri and tower-shaped houses near the river, which
had a role of unique barriers. |
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