The Six Oldest Castles in the World

By | June 20, 2018

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For centuries, castles have been included with mysteries, tales of hauntings, folklore and fairy tales of Kings and Queens. Large stone-built structures of stately homes with huge moats surrounding them conjure up images of life during medieval times. From England to Ireland to Spain, castles abound in all their glory and remain a part of world history. Some, if not most, have seen their fair share of damage from enemy attacks and weather and have since been restored. These castles still stand today and attract a high number of tourists annually.

Citadel of Aleppo

Beginning in the Medieval times, these bastions were built for those of nobility to protect them from attacks. Probably the oldest and largest castle in the world is the Citadel of Aleppo located in the very old city of Aleppo, Syria, built around 3000 BC. At the beginning of the 21st Century, The Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Aleppo Archaeological Society performed extensive conservation work on the citadel. Although it suffers a lot of damage due to the ongoing Syrian Civil War, it still stands today.  

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The Reichsburg Cochem

Secondly, is a castle located in Cochem, Germany which has seen its share of changes. The Reichsburg Cochem castle is said to have been built in the year 1000 and remains standing today. Historical documents of the castle date back to 1051 when the daughter of Ezzo and former Queen of Polan, Richeza, gave the castle to her nephew Palatine Count Henry I. One hundred years later, in 1151, King Konrad III forced his occupancy of the castle and in 1688 was almost destroyed by the French troops serving King Louis XIV but 200 years later was restored to a Gothic Revival style by Louis Frederic Jacques Ravenne. Today, the castle is owned by the town of Cochem and governed by the company Reichsburg GmbH.