Author
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Topic: Plans for Middle Eastesr Castles
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cthulhu Member
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posted 08-16-2000 11:08 AM
I am an adult planning to build a diorama of a Crusades castle siege. Due mostly to a greater limitation of figure sets and poses for the Saracens, I plan to use them as the beseiged, and the crusaders as the attackers. I will be building the castle from scratch. The problem I am having is in finding plans for any of the castles occupied by the Saracens during the Crusades. There seems to be an almost over-abundance of information on castles in the British Isles, and some information for other European castles, but I cannot find anything more than a smattering of pictures of Saracen castles that never show more than a small portion of one. If it proves more feasible to find information, I will probably try to depict the siege of a Moorish castle in Spain. Can anyone out there suggest any good resources for Saracen or Moorish castle plans? Thank you for any help! Cthulhu |
Levan Moderator
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posted 08-17-2000 05:22 AM
OK, so it's not quite what you're looking for - but might be a useful starting point. There's a cut-out model book, aimed at children (around 10-12 years) of a "Crusader Castle":Make This Model Crusader Castle (Cut-Out Models Series) by Iain Ashman. ISBN 0746024355. Cost's about £6.50 (UK pounds). I know of other folks who have used similar models quite successfully to form the templates for more sophisticated modelling. As another possible resource, I have in the past found lots of pictures of Moorish-style castles and Forts in Puerto Rico (San Juan, Casa Blanca, etc). Levan |
cthulhu Member
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posted 08-17-2000 10:37 AM
Thank you for the suggestion. This may well wind up being the best resource available. I think that the "make this castle" sets seem to run close to the right scale, so I may be able to base my plans on that one. I will go and take a look. Thanks! |
cthulhu Member
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posted 08-17-2000 04:05 PM
For anyone looking for the same thing as I am, Marko posted a notice in the Books forum about a book that has photos, plans, and info on Crusader and Saracen castles in the Middle East called "Castles and Churches of the Crusading Kingdom" by T.S.R. Boase, printed 1967. Good hunting, Cthulhu |
Erik Schmidt Senior Member
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posted 08-18-2000 12:24 AM
What size castle are you looking at depicting, or will you depict just part of it? Two castles which I have visited in the Middle East that I know are of arab construction are Nimrod Castle in the Golan Heights(Israel) and Ajloun Castle in N Jordan. Nimrod is very large and now partly ruined, but I have a low quality plan from a tourist brosure. Ajloun is small but very impressive and also very intact. I don't have plans. Both castles were attacked but never taken by the crusaders. If you want plans for them, I'm sure you can get them if you are willing to look hard as both castles are well known and Ajloun was undergoing restoration recently. Best of luck, Erik | |