Guard tower
Guard towers were towers found in a number of different cities housing guards. The towers served as observation points for the guards—typically archers—allowing them to survey the surrounding district and detect any dissidents or criminals. A number of them were also used by the Assassins as viewpoints, typically after clearing the tower of any guards stationed there.
Middle Ages[edit | edit source]
During the Third Crusade, guard towers were prevalent in Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre, with all three cities featuring at least one in each district. The soldiers stationed there were typically high-ranking guardsmen, with more patrolling the nearby area. A single archer was always found on the tower itself.[1]
During his hunt for the nine Templar leaders in the Levant, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad made regular use of guard towers to survey the surrounding area. If Altaïr was exposed during an assassination, some of his targets would flee to the nearest guard tower, making them more difficult for Altaïr to reach and assassinate.[1]
Renaissance[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Borgia tower
- Main article: Assassin Den
In Rome during the early 16th century, guard towers existed in the form of Borgia towers, which were controlled by the House of Borgia and served to reinforce their rule over the city.[2]
During his liberation of Rome, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze worked to destroy all twelve towers in Rome to reduce the Borgia's influence. To do so, he would first locate and assassinate the Captain overseeing the tower, then climb the structure itself and ignite it.[2]
In Constantinople, the Assassins built eight dens around the city. When they were captured by Templars, they were used as guard towers by them.[3]