The Porta Soprana of Genoa, built in the 11th 12th century, is similar to the north-facing portal in Cairo, although not quite as massive. This form of tower is often depicted in manuscript illuminations. It enabled guards to drop arrows, rocks, and burning oil onto anyone trying to storm the gate. It was designed for visibility and also for protection. The bastion style on the left was a common style. The north-facing portal and south portal to the city of Cairo were built in two different styles in the 11th and 12th centuries.
There may have been a higher central tower above the doorway at the time of original construction: The portal is within a broad arch that predates Roman arches by about 1,500 years. It features a heavy wall and a single portal in the central recessed portion of a thick wall. The Canaanite Gate in Tel Dan is several thousand years old and currently under restoration (the doorway has not been fully excavated). Some had flat platforms, others had roofs. Most towers were built with brick and mud or stone according to local engineering and cultural traditions. Medieval portal entrances were designed with distinctive features and usually stood higher than the walls so watchmen could scan incoming traffic from a suitable height, and travelers could find the right entrance to walled cities. The extra height let the watchmen see who was coming, and visitors knew where to approach. It was common to build a tower, or a pair of towers, over the main portal. To make it easier to recognize the gate from a distance, certain “signal” styles were adapted by builders and architects, many of which were specific to their region. If there was only one, it was important to know where it was or you could approach from the wrong side and spend hours or days backtracking along treachorous mountainous paths or deep forest. Many cities were completely walled and you entered by the portal gate.
0 kommentar(er)
