ABSTRACT
Arrow-loops are a basic feature of defensive architecture in the medieval period in the Near East; well known in Byzantine fortifications, they are common in medieval fortresses and city enclosures, whether built by the Crusaders or by the Muslims. Nevertheless, a specific feature seems never to be present in Muslim fortification: basal oillets (triangular, semi-circular or rectangular shaped), frequently called stirrup-bases, appear only in the Crusader princedoms as well as in the Cilician Armenian kingdom. These devices are very well known in the kingdoms of France and England.
The chapter intends firstly to draw a cartography of the known examples around the Near East Mediterranean coasts; secondly, the authors question the dates, influences and functionalities of these features. Were they intended only to help the shooter, or to highlight the presence of the arrow-loops to scare the attackers? Were they invented in the Near East, or imported there?
