watchtower

As there was no border between the Habsburg and the Osman Empires in the 16-17th centuries in the modern sense of the word, the constantly changing borderline was defined by the chain of border fortresses. The plundering soldiers of the enemy often rushed through the regions between bigger fortresses, though. To avoid this both the Hungarian and the Turks raised smaller watchtowers and watch houses. The task of the guards (maximum a dozen soldiers, but usually there were 5-10 of them) was to watch the actions of the enemy and if there was an attack they had to alarm the watches of the nearby fortress by a mounted orderly or a cannon-shot.

PG