Star forts, or bastion forts, are a type of fortification that first emerged more than 500 years ago in response to the growing power of cannons on th

A Photo Appreciation of Star Forts

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2024-11-19 02:00:05

Star forts, or bastion forts, are a type of fortification that first emerged more than 500 years ago in response to the growing power of cannons on the battlefield, with sloped walls and angled bastions that allowed defenders better coverage above any attackers. These polygonal or star-shaped defensive structures were built in locations around the world by kingdoms, revolutionaries, colonial forces, commercial entities, and more. Although most have outlived their military usefulness, dozens of these forts still survive, now renovated as museums, tourist attractions, hotels, or city parks.

An aerial view of a small village within Fort Bourtange, in the Netherlands, near the German border, seen in autumnal colors. Fort Bourtange was originally completed in 1593, during the Eighty Years' War. Its battlements and moat were restored beginning in the 1960s. #

An overview of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, in Baltimore, Maryland. Originally built in 1798, its bombardment by British forces during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to a song that became the U.S. national anthem. #

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