Ingush Tower Architecture

Ingush towers are medieval stone structures built by the Ingush people of the North Caucasus, used as residences, signal posts and fortifications. Three main types developed: residential towers, called ghala, were square or rectangular stone buildings usually of two or three floors with a flat earthen roof and an average height of ten to twelve meters; semi-combat towers formed a transitional type between residential and combat towers, typically three to four floors and twelve to sixteen meters tall, combining features of both; and combat towers, called vhov, represented the highest achievement of Ingush tower building, rising five to six stories and twenty to thirty meters, with pyramidal or flat roofs and defensive features such as machicolations and loopholes positioned to cover every approach. Ingush towers are noted for graceful masonry and fine detail work, and for an unusually high ratio of height to base width, on the order of ten to one, reflecting a sophisticated engineering tradition adapted to the mountainous terrain of the North Caucasus.