Meghri fortress

Meghri Fortress is a medieval 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 Medieval 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.