Tygnis Fortress

Tignis Fortress, also called Kalkankale ("Shield Castle"), stands on a hilltop near the village of Kalkankale, about ten kilometres east of Akyaka in Turkey's Kars province. It was built by the Bagratid kings of Armenia as one of the defences protecting their capital, Ani, from the north; its Armenian name, Tiknis, is said to carry the same meaning of "shield" as its later Turkish name. During the 19th century it was also known as Kızılkule, meaning "Red Tower." Its walls were damaged in 1960, when the site was used as a target during military exercises.