Finding the largest castle in the world is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Though the castle and is defined as a "fortification, which served as the residence of the governor or another representative of the upper class," it is not always clear what can be called a castle, and what is not.
For example, most people would agree that the Moscow Kremlin - no lock, but what about the forts in India or Japan? It is not always easy to determine how to evaluate the size of the castle. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle - the largest castle complex planet. Meanwhile, Wikipedia calls the largest castle in the world uninhabited Windsor Castle.
List of top 10 largest castles in the world
1. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland (35,737 Sq. M.)
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Edinburgh Castle stands on top of an extinct volcano, towering over the city of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Almost all the buildings of the castle complex, have survived to our time, we have been built since the 16th century. A notable exception - St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh, dating from the beginning of the XII century.
2. Citadel of Aleppo, Syria (39,804 Sq. M.)
Citadel of Aleppo - one of the oldest castles in the world. It stands on a fifty-meter hill in the center of the city of Aleppo, Syria. As a reference point used by the hill at least the third millennium BC. Fortifications were built on the mountain by representatives of many civilizations, including the Greeks, the Byzantines, the Ayyubid, and the Mamluk. Most of the buildings that have survived to our time are dated XIII century.
3. Himeji Castle (Himeji), Japan (41,468 Sq. M.)
Himeji Castle is considered the most beautiful castle in Japan. This is one of the few medieval castles survivors of the civil war, earthquakes, and bombings. The first fort was built on this site in the XIV century. Over the following centuries, the fortress was constantly strengthened and expanded. The current form of the castle complex was acquired in 1609.
4. Buda Castle, Hungary (44,674 Sq. M.)
Buda Castle stands on the south side of Castle Hill in Budapest, Hungary. The first fortifications on the site appeared in the 13th century, after the attack of the Mongols in the Will, when the locals decided to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the city. The castle complex, as it stands, there is a mixture of architectural styles ranging from Gothic and Baroque ending.
5. Spissky Castle, Slovakia (49,485 Sq. M.)
Spissky Castle, located in eastern Slovakia, is the largest castle in the country and one of the largest medieval castles in Central Europe. Citadel was surrounded by stone walls in the first half of the 13th century, and the lower courtyard - in the middle of the XV century. The castle stands in the beautiful countryside and is often used for filming movies. In particular, there were filming scenes from the films "Dragon Heart" (1996) and "The Last Legion" (2006).
6. Castle Hohensalzburg (Hohensalzburg), Austria (54,523 Sq. M.)
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Hohensalzburg Castle, located in the Austrian city of Salzburg, is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Europe. The castle was built in 1077 and expanded considerably from 1495 to 1519 when he in general accepted the modern look.
7. Windsor Castle, UK (54,835 Sq. M.)
Windsor Castle is often called the largest uninhabited castle in the world. The largest UK Castle, one of the official residences of Queen Elizabeth II, spends many weekends in it using the lock and for official receptions, and for recreation.
8. Prague Castle, Czech Republic (66,761 Sq. M.)
Prague Castle - one of the largest castles in the world (the largest according to the Guinness Book of Records). The original castle dates back to the 9th century AD, but after that, the fortress was repeatedly extended until the second half of the XVIII century. On the territory of the castle complex is a lot of attractions, including the St. Vitus Cathedral and the Church of St. George.
9. Mehrangarh Fort, India (81,227 Sq. M.)
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Although Mehrangarh is officially considered a fort, it could be called an Indian castle. It should be at the top of 122-meter-high mountains. The height of the fort - 35 meters, width - 21 meters. To get inside the castle, you need to go through the seven gates. The original castle was built in 1459 by Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur, where the Rajput ruler moved his capital from Mandora. However, most of the extant buildings date from the 17th century.
10. Castle Malbork, Poland (1,43,591 Sq. M.)
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Located in Poland Malbork Castle - the largest castle in the world. Founded in 1274 by the Teutonic Knights in the Order as a capital and a reference point for the struggle with the Poles and to support its Baltic possessions. The castle was repeatedly completed until the defeat of the Teutonic Knights in 1466 as a result of the Thirteen Years' War.
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