barbican

Tower guarding entrance

A barbican is a fortified outpost or gatehouse, especially one defending a castle entrance or bridge.

It served as an outer defensive position, forcing attackers to pass through a confined space before reaching the main fortification.

The word now mainly appears in historical or fantasy contexts: The knights rode through the barbican into the castle courtyard. (Capitalized Barbican refers to the London arts center and residential complex.)

architecture

gatehouse

Structure over an entrance

portcullisVertical sliding castle gate
drawbridgeHinged castle entrance span
crenelationNotched defensive parapet

embrasure · tower · turret · battlement · parapet · loophole · moat · keep · bailey · rampart

fortification

citadel

Fortified urban stronghold

strongholdFortified place of defense
bulwarkDefensive fortification or safeguard
redoubtEnclosed temporary fortification

outwork · palisade · stockade · entrenchment · blockhouse · casemate · fortification · watchtower · earthwork

gateway

entrance

Point of access

portalImposing entrance or gate
thresholdPoint of beginning
passagewayEnclosed route between spaces

archway · opening · access · ingress · entryway · checkpoint · bottleneck · chokepoint

medieval

castle

Fortified medieval residence

feudalismLand-for-service social structure
siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
trebuchetCounterweight-powered projectile launcher

catapult · mangonel · ballista · crusades

barbican

gatehouse

citadel

entrance

castle

barbican

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