citadels

(noun)

A central area in a city that is heavily fortified.

Related Terms

Examples of citadels in the following topics:

  • Mycenaean Architecture

    • The walls of Mycenaean citadel sites were often built with ashlar and massive stone blocks.
    • Citadel sites were protected from invasion through natural and man-made fortification.
    • The citadel site of Mycenae was the center of Mycenaean culture.
    • Ground plan of the citadel of Tiryns. c. 1400-1200 BCE.
    • The citadel site of Tiyrns is known for its Cyclopean vaulted tunnels that run next to its walls and its tightly controlled access to the megaron and the main rooms of the citadel.

  • The Acropolis

    • The Athenian Acropolis is an ancient citadel in Athens containing the remains of several ancient buildings, including the Parthenon.
    • Archaeological evidence shows that the acropolis was once home to a Mycenaean citadel.
    • The citadel's Cyclopean walls defended the Acropolis for centuries, and still remains today.
    • The southern wing incorporated the original Cyclopean walls from the Mycenaean citadel.
    • It was built on the site of the Hekatompedon and over the megaton of the Mycenaean citadel.

  • The Propylaea and the Erechtheion

    • The southern wing of the Propylaia incorporated the original cyclopean walls from the Mycenaean citadel; this space was truncated but served as dining area for feasting after sacrifice.
    • The Erectheion was built on the site of the Hekatompedon, which was the archaic temple to Athena, and also over the megaron of the Mycenaean citadel.

  • Blitzkrieg

    • In July 1943 the Wehrmacht conducted Operation Zitadelle (Citadel) against a salient at Kursk that was heavily defended by Soviet troops.
    • Some assert that Operation Citadel was planned and intended to be a blitzkrieg operation. 

  • Mycenaean Metallurgy

    • The Grave Circle was originally located outside the walls of the city but was later encompassed inside the walls of the citadel when the city's walls were enlarged during the thirteenth century BCE.
    • An additional grave circle, Grave Circle B, is also located at Mycenae, although this one was never incorporated into the citadel site.

  • Architecture of the Inca

    • Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge 7,970 feet above sea level.
    • Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge 7,970 feet above sea level.

  • Gradual Withdrawal

    • On September 10, the South Vietnamese flag once again flew over the ruins of the Citadel of Quảng Trị City, but the ARVN offensive ran out of steam, conceding the rest of the occupied territory to the North Vietnamese.

  • Mughal Dynasty

    • Shah Jahan erected many splendid monuments, including the Pearl Mosque (a mosque for members of the royal court), the Red Fort (a royal palace), the Jama Masjid of Delhi (the principal mosque of Old Delhi), and the Lahore Fort (a citadel of the city of Lahore).

  • Pottery in the Greek Geometric Period

    • In the eleventh century BCE, the citadel centers of the Mycenaeans were abandoned and Greece fell into a period with little cultural or social progression.

  • Geometric Symbolism

    • Octagons in various shapes frequently appear in marble floors, such as the Citadel of Aleppo in Syria.