(sweeping upbeat music) - [Narrator] A never-ending thread of conflict runs through the fabric of history.

Invasions, crusades, sieges and feuds, all leaving an indelible mark.

Each generation has had to do its best to protect kith and kin from harm.

Building elaborate fortifications to keep their enemies at bay.

Many have been altered over the centuries.

Others languish as ruins.

But each bears testimony to the triumphs and tragedies of societies, past and furious.

(gentle upbeat music) (birds chirping) (serene music) Defending territory has been a necessity since civilization began, resulting in a larger-than-life chess set of forts and castles, turrets and towers.

From the middle ages onwards, castles were popular with royal and noble families.

But preceding the castles were the citadels and forts.

Commissioned to protect the cities they served, these structures date back to the time of the ancients.

(monks humming) In the Judean desert in Israel stands one of the most extraordinary fortresses in history.

(upbeat music) Sitting on a 400-meter-high plateau overlooking the Dead Sea is the fortress of Masada.

The site was fortified by Herod the Great, the Judaean King, during the 1st century BC, but it's difficult to gauge just how elaborate his palaces were, how opulent their design, for most of the site presents as a ruin.

Even the well-engineered bathhouse and swimming pool, luxuries in the heart of a desert, take an effort to visualise.

But they draw a crowd, nevertheless.

When Jerusalem fell to the Romans at the end of the 1st century AD, Masada became the refuge of the last survivors of the Jewish revolt.

Around 1,000 men, women and children managed to hold their own here for just on three tense years.

(sombre music) But when the Roman army besieged the impenetrable fort, most chose to end their own lives, rather than submit to slavery under the new ruling power.

The siege works, attack ramp, legionary fortresses and military camps the Romans built to overthrow the monument, are the most complete of their kind that survive to the present day.

A poignant reminder of the struggle all peoples face when oppression and liberty lock horns.

(gentle upbeat music) To find a defensive structure that rivals the imposing majesty of Masada, one must travel north across the Mediterranean Sea to Athens in Greece.

In the historical capital of modern Greece, sits one of the most iconic citadels in the ancient world.

The Acropolis.

An enduring symbol of Greek and European culture, the Acropolis is located on a limestone hill high above the city and was regarded as the mythical home of the gods.

(gentle upbeat music continues) Taking centre stage in the Acropolis is the perfectly proportioned Parthenon, named for the goddess, Athena.

(serene music) In the words of Pericles, the leader who commissioned the building, "What you leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

A revelation that resonates to this day.

In an age of internecine and international conflict, the Acropolis served as a refuge and stronghold, protecting the ancient Athenians in times of peril.

3,300 years ago, 800 years before the temple was constructed, a massive circuit wall was built around the Acropolis to bolster its defences.

760 metres long, three to six metres thick and up to 10 metres high, it served as the main defence for the complex right up until the 5th century.

(suspenseful music) Along with citadels and forts, defensive walls were a popular choice of fortification for several millennia.

These walls were designed to deter invaders and afford those who lived within their precincts a measure of peace, or at least that was the theory.

In the northern region of China is the longest and most famous of these defensive walls.

The Great Wall of China.

Commissioned in the 3rd century BC and extensively renovated between the 14th and 17th centuries, the Great Wall was the brainchild of successive emperors, all desperate to protect their domains from invading nomadic tribes.

The wall isn't in fact one uninterrupted rampart but a series of fortifications cobbled together to create a network of walls.

Nevertheless, the Great Wall's total length is still impressive, a whopping 21,196 kilometres.

The distance akin to half the circumference of the Earth.

(serene music) The section of wall constructed between 1368 and 1644 alone crossed nine provinces and municipalities, a total of some 6,259 kilometres.

An engineering marvel by any definition, the Great Wall did eventually prove unfit for purpose.

In the early 13th century, the great Mongol warrior, Genghis Khan, breached the Great Wall and occupied the city of Zhongdu, or, as it's known today, Beijing, the capital of modern China.

Proving that even the most imposing walls are never impregnable.

(bright upbeat music) Towers were another popular form of fortification, particularly for coastal cities eager to keep marauding seafarers at bay.

And one of the most reassuring towers in Europe is here in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

Standing guard over the estuary of the Tagus River since the 16th century, is the 30 metre high, Torre de Belem.

(bright upbeat music continues) In the 15 and 1600s, Lisbon was the place where many a great explorer set off or returned.

And as such, the Torre de Belem is often regarded as a potent symbol of Europe's Age of Discovery.

The lower bastion level once housed 17 canons, but was later converted to hold prisoners.

The upper bastion was open, shielded by a low wall.

The battlements are adorned with stone shields, bearing the cross of the Order of Christ, while the watchtowers, that grace the corners of the structure, are Arabic in style.

The tower was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and, in recognition of its status as a landmark, became one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in 2007.

Portugal's days of global exploration have passed, but the Torre de Belem stands as a symbol and reminder of this country's once grand ambitions.

(serene music) (bright music) While defence has always been the primary function of fortifications, they were also built to showcase the wealth and power of the ruling classes, and nowhere is this more evident than in India.

India is renowned for its iconic buildings.

Be they civic or sacred, these buildings are a prominent part of Indian life.

But the architectural area in which India also excels is forts.

In the old quarter of Delhi is one of India's most renowned and revered icons, the Lal Qila or Red Fort.

(ethereal music) Built between 1639 and 1648, the Red Fort is named for the colour of its soaring sandstone walls, an unmistakable symbol of military and imperial power.

Architecturally, the Red Fort is a marriage of Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu influences, and the gardens within evoke the sense of splendour associated with the Mughal Empire.

The British also recognised the symbolic power of the Red Fort when they colonised India from the 18th century onwards.

The Red Fort functioned as their official seat of power in India up until the War of Independence in 1857.

To underscore their control, the British added buildings to the fort.

A bricks-and-mortar reminder for all Indians of who was in charge.

It was fitting then that when India reclaimed its independence from the British in 1947, the Red Fort is where the newly-liberated nation raised its first tricolour flag.

(bright music) If the Red Fort is India's most significant fort, its most popular is in the ancient city of Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan.

Founded in 1727, Jaipur was India's first planned city.

It was the brainchild of Maharaja Jai Singh II, who established a royal court here to take advantage of the flat terrain and access to water.

The giant blocks and wide avenues, central to Jai Singh's plans, still form the heart of modern Jaipur.

And several of the palaces he commissioned still bear testimony to the scope of his extraordinary vision.

But the origins of this magnificent city lie high above it, in the shape of the Amber Fort.

(serene music) The Amber Fort originated in the 11th century but most of the existing buildings in the compound were added or remodelled in the late 16th century, when Rajah Man Singh, a commander in the army of Emperor Akbhar, first came to power.

Sitting on the Hill of Eagles in the Aravalli Mountains, it connects to Jaigarh Fort, which can be seen in the distance, by a series of underground tunnels, that were built as an escape route for the ruling maharajas and their families, should Amber ever suffer an attack.

The fort is built on four levels, each with its own entry point and courtyard.

The Suraj Pol, or Sun Gate, leads to the Jaleb Chowk, or main courtyard, where returning armies would flaunt their spoils of war.

But the celebrations weren't open to everyone.

The Amber Fort was carefully regulated along gender lines and women were only allowed to view proceedings in the Chowk from behind the veiled windows of the palace.

The Diwan-e-aam, or Hall of the Public Audience, is where kings would interact with their loyal subjects to address their grievances, (serene music continues) while special guests and ministers were entertained in the Diwan-e Khaas, the Hall of the Private Audience.

While Man Singh I's palace remains the main residential building within the compound, subsequent rulers added their own premises and grandiose structures.

One such addition was Ganesh Pol, built during the reign of King Jai Singh II in the mid 1660s.

This is the most elaborate gate within the fort, named after the elephant-headed god Hindus believe capable of removing obstacles from their lives.

Architecturally, it represents a fusion of Mughal and Rajput styles, and was built to give Jai Singh II and his family exclusive access to their private quarters, without the risk of being disturbed.

One of the most beautiful buildings in the fort is the Jai Mandir, or the Hall of Victory, also known as the Sheesh Mahal, or Mirror Palace.

(gentle upbeat music) Sitting directly opposite is the Sukh Mahal, or Hall of Pleasure.

Separated by a classic Mughal garden, the exquisite monument took well over a century to build.

(serene upbeat music) The building wasn't finished until 1727, the year Maharaja Jai Singh II, who was actually born at Amber, moved to the newly fortified city of Jaipur, purpose-built to function as the power-base of his rapidly expanding ancestral kingdom.

(bright music) In 2013, Amber Fort was added to the UNESCO list World Heritage Sites, along with five other majestic forts across Rajasthan, including two that were built while Jai Singh II was ruler.

Jaigarh Fort, built in 1726 to protect Amber Fort and its ensemble of palaces, and Nahargarh Fort, constructed in 1734.

Bold, beautiful and always imposing, the Amber Fort, and its satellite structures, go to prove that a fort can rise above its defensive role, to become an extraordinary piece of architecture.

(suspenseful music) On the other side of the world, in Granada in Spain, is one of human civilization's most iconic and dignified forts, the Alhambra.

Described by Moorish poets as, "A pearl set in emeralds," this 26 acre fortified wonder was conceived in the 13th century, by Muhammad I of Granada, the first ruler of the great Nasrid Dynasty.

And while a lot of the work on site was commissioned during his reign, the whole complex, as it exists today, took 300 years to complete.

Designed as a military zone, it was built over the remains of a Roman fortress that dated back to the 9th century.

As the project evolved, a multitude of structures were added, including the Alcazaba, a fortress with multiple towers that housed the royal guard and its families, several palaces and a Medina for court officials.

And the Generalife, a place where the kings of Grenada could spend time away from their official affairs.

From the outset, the Alhambra was built to impress, and to this day remains a striking testament to Spain's Islamic past, showcasing the Moors' architectural acumen, and the religion they practised.

Hydraulic engineering was clearly a strong point, with water from the Darro River below the palace-city cleverly diverted to quench the thirst of sophisticated gardens and fill dozens of pools and fountains.

The fortress looks heavy set and relatively plain from a distance, belying the exquisite wonder within.

(serene music) Interconnected by quadrangles, pillars and porticoes, nearly every surface is a work of art, enlivened by Arabesque reliefs, glazed tiles or intricately carved wood and stucco.

Balance and symmetry are clearly on show in the court of the Myrtles, so named for the well manicured bushes that surround its central pond.

When the reflection on its surface ripples, and the solid stone walls shimmer, it's considered to be a lyrical reminder that nothing in life is permanent.

The buildings that surround the court, make up the Comares Palace, the official residence of Yusuf ibn Ismail, the 7th Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada.

And on his orders, the Comares' decorations were designed to dazzle.

(gentle bright music) It's likely, however, that he never saw the final result, for inscriptions confirm the responsibility for its detail, fell to his son, Mohammed V. The main room has 10 alcoves covered in reliefs and texts that offer sage advice to all who enter the room.

To the north, inside the Comares tower, is the Hall of the Ambassadors, inscribed throughout with poems that praise god or the emir, and poignant passages from the Koran.

This is where the emir's throne was located, and where official receptions took place.

The walls rise to a series of openings, fitted with latticework screens, that allowed light to flood the chamber below.

The ceiling, which is believed to represent the seven heavens of the Islamic paradise, is crowned by a spectacular wooden dome, a masterpiece of craftsmanship in its own right.

Palace of Mohammed V is the most luxurious in the entire complex, more commonly known as the Palace of the Lions, taking its name from the fountain that features in the main courtyard.

Islamic geometry soars into a heavenly three-dimensional realm inside the palace, using the star motif to inform the elaborate dome.

This same motif features in the stalactite cupola above the Hall of Abencerrajes.

The hall is named after a politically important north African family who, according to legend, were invited to attend a banquet in the building, only to find themselves duped and beheaded.

Ultimately the last emir to rule Grenada was forced to surrender the keys to Alhambra in 1492.

Under the rule of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the distinctly Muslim treasure became a Christian court.

The Catholic monarchs added a church and Franciscan monastery, but to their credit, maintained the Islamic character of Alhambra, an enduring legacy of, and tribute to, the Moorish rulers of Spain.

(upbeat music) The mid to late middle ages were a busy time for Europe's master builders.

With tens of thousands of castles built between the 10th and 15th centuries.

At one time, there were allegedly more than 25,000 castles in Germany alone, which is still home to some of the most magnificent in the world.

The Hohenzollern Castle, rebuilt and stocked with opulent furnishings and fixtures.

Mad King Ludwig II's dreamy Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration behind Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom monument.

And the iconic Reichsburg Cochem in the heart of Germany's Mosel valley.

(lilting music) The Reichsburg overlooks a dramatic sweep of the Mosel River, a left bank tributary of the mighty Rhine.

It twists and turns through a spectacular landscape, well known for its vineyards and traditional towns.

But Cochem is the jewel in the emerald valley's imperial crown.

Oozing charm, it appears to have risen straight from the pages of one of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales.

It's generally assumed that the castle was first built over 1,000 ago by Count Ezzo, one of the more powerful princes of the Palatinate, who were related to German emperors.

Its first mention in official records was 1051, when Ezzo's eldest daughter, Richeza, the former Queen of Poland, gifted the castle to her nephew.

It changed hands half a dozen times over subsequent centuries, but was destroyed by French troops in 1689, during the war of the Palatine succession.

The castle lay in ruins until 1868, when Louis Ravene, a businessman from Berlin, bought the land and its assets for 300 gold marks, a mere pittance in today's money, and rebuilt the bulk of the structure in the neo-Gothic style that was popular in his time.

(gentle upbeat music) The design of the interior spaces fell to a professor from Berlin, Ernst Ewald, who commissioned a team of local artists and craftsmen to work alongside him, carving out the wood panelling and painting intricate decorations on the ceilings and walls.

Romanesque and Gothic touches keep the building's mediaeval history alive.

There are gargoyles, of course.

A knight's hall and hunting room, and a Hexenturm, or witch's tower.

This was a feature from the original fortress, and takes its name from a local legend that harks back to the days when women were thrown from an upper window if they were convicted of practising witchcraft.

Louis Ravene and his family used the castle as their summer residence, stocking it with carefully curated Renaissance and Baroque sculptures and furniture, much of which adorns the property to this day.

The castle, which is now owned by the town of Cochem, functions as a venue for private and public events.

The spectacular dining setting still hosts the odd bawdy banquet, which is fitting given that in architectural terms, Reichsburg Cochem still looks good enough to eat.

In Europe, castles have become more than architectural structures.

With their tales of murder and marriage, their stories of treachery and trickery, castles have become an essential part of European folklore, even if some tales were taller than they were true.

In Romania in eastern Europe, few tales can rival those associated with one of the country's most iconic buildings, Bran Castle.

(eerie music) Bran Castle commands a strategic position, overlooking the mountain pass between Wallachia and Transylvania, and attracts upward of 800,000 visitors a year.

Most come because they believe the castle was home to Bram Stoker's unforgettable character, Count Dracula, who bears some resemblance to Vlad the Impaler, a blood-thirsty Transylvanian ruler, famous for impaling his enemies on stakes during the 15th century.

There is little evidence that the celebrated writer even travelled to Bran Castle to draw inspiration for his creepy novel.

But don't tell that to the droves of Dracula devotees and "Twilight" fans who have helped keep the story undead.

In real life, the castle was built between 1377 and 1388.

It was home to Teutonic knights, then a proud succession of Hungarians, Turks, Saxons and Romanian royals.

But in 1948, it was seized by the Communist government of Nicolas Ceausescu.

16 years after the Romanian revolution brought an end to his dictatorship and life, the ownership of Bran Castle returned to the legal heirs of the royals Ceausescu had deposed.

(lilting music) Since Dracula continues to provide the Romanian government, and the castle's current owners, with such a unique and lucrative selling point, there's no great rush from either side to revamp its image.

Proving decisively that it's never a good idea to let the truth get in the way of a good story.

There's even a museum on site now where props from Francis Ford Coppola's movie version of "Dracula" can be viewed.

There were rumours that the Habsburgs had put the castle up for sale for a cool $80 million US, but so far there have been no bites.

(jaunty music) Running a close second to the tale that keeps Bran Castle ticking along, is the legend that encourages visitors to bend over backwards in County Cork, Ireland.

- And raise your hands upon the bars and turn right, head down.

And drift for me, keep them there.

Now back to me, easy and up you come.

- [Narrator] In a country with no fewer than 30,000 castles, Blarney Castle consistently rates as one of the best.

Set in a timeless, rural landscape, amid 60 magnificent acres of park land, gardens and waterways, this mediaeval stronghold is Ireland's pride and joy.

(serene music) It's a case of third time lucky however, for the first building that occupied the site was made from timber and deteriorated, and its stone replacement was demolished.

But fortunately, the current keep is still standing strong.

It was built nearly 600 years ago by the McCarthy of Mucksberry Dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond.

It was completed in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster, one of Ireland's most powerful chieftains.

According to local lore, if you can negotiate the Wishing Steps backwards, your heart's desire will be granted.

And if you're prepared to kiss the stone, located at the top of the castle, under part of its battlements, you'll receive the gift of the gab.

(upbeat music) There's little evidence that puckering up bestows visitors to Blarney Castle with extraordinary powers of eloquence.

But, like Bran Castle in Romania, when it comes to competing for the international tourist dollar, a tall tale is better than no tale at all.

(ethereal music) While castles appear to have been be a dime a dozen in Europe, they were far more exclusive in the Far East, reaching their architectural climax in Japan, in the 16th century.

And one of the finest examples is here in Himeji, in western Japan.

This castle is the World Heritage listed, Himeji-Jo.

Also known as the White Heron Castle, it soars, not unlike its namesake, over the precinct it was built to serve.

(gentle bright music) Sprawling over a 233 hectare site, construction began on Himeji-Jo in the 1580s and was completed in 1609.

Resulting in 83 buildings, connected by a series of gates and winding paths.

Himeji functioned continuously for three centuries, until 1868 when the Tokugawa period came to an end, and the emperor's supreme position was restored.

It continued to serve as a military command and a centre for political life, but now rests on its laurels as a monument to an earlier age, attracting around three million national and international visitors per year.

The moats that surround the complex were built to deter invaders, but doubled as a reservoir for water to put out fires.

Several floors of the main castle keep had stone throwing platforms to hurl projectiles and boiling water at any besieging enemy.

The castle's defences were never actually challenged until 1945, when the entire Himeji region was bombed towards the end of World War II.

By some miracle, the ordinance that fell on the top floor of the main castle keep, failed to explode, saving Himeji-Jo from certain ruin.

The political and social landscape of Japan in the late 1500s, paved the way for a whole new generation of castles to be built.

In this feudal era, castles needed to be in the thick of it, on the populated plains, so towns were built around the castles and in the centre was the lord's domain, to facilitate administration and provide a comfortable home for his family and key personnel.

The mighty Tokugawa Ieyasu, was the first army commander, or shogun, of the Edo period.

He set up residence in Nijo-Jo, a flatland castle built in Kyoto in 1603.

(gentle bright music) The castle complex is composed of two fortifications, built in the form of concentric rings.

The outer circle of defence, surrounded by stone walls and moat, was guarded from watchtowers around the perimeter.

The secondary circle of defence is gated by the regal and ornate Karamon gate, which was fully restored and repainted in 2013.

Within the gates are the expansive Ninomaru Gardens, surrounding Ninomaru Palace which housed the shogun during his visits to Kyoto.

Surviving in its original form today, the palace is made up of multiple separate buildings that are connected to each other by corridors.

Nijo Castle's palace buildings are arguably the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and one of the reasons the castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

(lilting upbeat music) Just a decade after completing his Kyoto residence, Tokugawa Ieyasu's veritable army of labourers were busy putting the finishing touches on his castle complex at Nagoya.

It was built for defensive purposes, to ward off attackers and protect the social and economic prosperity of the Owari region.

With its main tower topped by a pair of golden Shachihoko, a mythical tiger-fish creature, that is said to control the rain, Nagoya was declared a national treasure in 1930.

The stonewalls, gates and watchtowers survived bombing in World War II, but the castle keep had to be completely rebuilt, using steel and reinforced concrete.

The five-level, seven-floor structure closed to the public in 2018, ahead of its proposed demolition and rebirth, which will see the structure more faithfully rendered in timber.

(upbeat music) Before its closure, the main keep contained a museum, with exhibits that showcased the castle's history and how the original complex was built.

(lilting music) But until its scheduled re-completion in 2028, visitors can still get a sense of life in the Edo era, by touring Hommaru Palace, which once served as the official residence and administrative offices of the Owari Tokugawa clan.

Using architectural plans from the period and other historical references, the palace rebuild in 2018 was meticulous.

Everything, from the paper quality to the pigments, that would have been used to create the original wall paintings and screens, informed the incredible reproductions that now stand in their place.

(gentle upbeat music) For their beauty and importance and their ability to weather the storms of history, castles like Nagoya, Nijo and Hijemi-Jo have become Japanese icons.

But to find a castle that's truly a global icon, means travelling to the other side of the Earth.

(gentle dramatic music) In London, the capital city of England, is a castle that has stood for hundreds of years at the heart of this country's tumultuous history.

This is the Tower of London.

It was established in the 11th century by invading French king, William the Conqueror, to send a message to the English that he was now in control.

And almost 1,000 years later, this tower still evokes a sense of awe and fear.

At every turn, the tower's history is blood-stained.

This is where, during the 15th century, Henry VI was murdered.

Where Edward VI's two young boys mysteriously disappeared in 1483.

And where Anne Boleyn was decapitated by her husband, King Henry VIII.

During the Tudor age, the tower became the most notorious prison in the country.

Princess Elizabeth was incarcerated here for plotting to overthrow her half-sister, Mary I. Sir Walter Raleigh was also imprisoned for marrying without the queen's permission.

And Guy Fawkes was tortured here for attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

The tower has had less terrifying roles too, serving as the Royal Mint, the Royal Armoury and even as a zoo.

But today, it's best known as the place where the Crown Jewels are kept.

This remarkable collection, which is on public display when not in use, is said to be worth between three and five billion English pounds.

It includes a bounty of ceremonial swords, sceptres and elaborate crowns, including this priceless centrepiece, the St.

Edward's crown, made for Charles II in 1661, and famously worn by Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her coronation in 1953.

Crafted from solid gold, it weighs a spine-compressing 2.23 kilogrammes and is decorated with 444 precious and semi-precious stones, a mere fraction of the 23,578 gemstones that feature in the hoard of royal regalia.

It's the presence of this collection which makes the Tower of London a rarity amongst the world's castles.

By protecting the Crown Jewels, the tower still functions as a defender of the realm.

In effect, it's a working castle, and by being so earns its place as a great national and international icon.

(gentle upbeat music) Castles are a commanding presence in our world.

In various forms, they have physically shaped our landscapes and our cities, but also our cultures and our social relationships.

Castles, too, are the repositories of our national histories, their conflicts, their fears, their triumphs and their tragedies, even their tales, both tall and true.

And, although symbols of bygone ages, they still, to this day, exert a fascination for all generations, present and future.

(triumphant music) (dramatic music)