ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on castles held by the Teutonic Knights in Cilician Armenia during the thirteenth century. To sum up, it can be said that the Teutonic Knights played an important role in the political life of Cilician Armenia during the opening years of the thirteenth century. Although the mountainous terrain of Cilicia made it difficult for attackers to penetrate the area, Muslim pressure eventually forced Armenian rulers to adopt the same policy as their Latin neighbours and to grant castles to the military orders in exchange for military assistance. Cilician Armenia had originally belonged to the Byzantine empire, but between the late twelfth century and its conquest by the Egyptians in 1375, it became an independent Christian kingdom controlled by local Armenian dynasties. In return for their generosity toward the Teutonic Knights, Armenian rulers expected to gain military aid against the Muslims.
