Mohosvar Castle (Ruins)

In the XI-XII centuries castles were still mainly built by Kings. In the XIII century though the feudal land owner class got stronger, who also started to erect castles in defense of their property and families. King Bela IV especially supported these endeavors, so the country is better defended in case of a new Mongol invasion. At the end of the XIII century the squatter barons gathered such power especially because of the castles impossible to besiege with the equipment of the period that they could even confront the King himself successfully. A typical example of these castles is Mohosvar in Northern Hungary. The castle was built by the Gut-Keled family on top of a hardly approachable mountain top after the Mongol invasion. The small fortress was enclosed by an oval stone wall fortified by square shaped stone tower. In the middle of the castle yard a tall circular tower rose. Along the walls wooden houses and workshops stood. The castle was defended by a palisade as well and a dry moat. After the downfall of the oligarchs in the beginning of the XIV century the castle was besieged and destroyed. Its ruins were used for a short time later in the middle of the XV century by the hussites and also by a robber knight as a thieves’ den.