Transylvania is filled with fortified churches. These are basically churches with a wall built around them to protect against attack. When these were built, there was a constant fear of invasion from the Ottomans and Tatars, thus the churches were built with protection in mind.
Yesterday I rented a bicycle and took a trip to two fortified churches just outside Brasov. The first one at Prejmer, is a world heritage site, and was very unusual. The church itself was pretty standard, but the fortifications were unique. On the inside, facing the church, the walls had many doors with small rooms. I also went into the roof where I saw how they could repel invasions by shooting arrows from small holes in the walls.
The second church at Harman was a little bit different. I liked the church better, but the fortifications were simpler. There were only a few of the rooms built into the wall, and no big room like in Prejmer. While I haven’t been to the Fujian Tulou in China, the photos I have seen of them really remind me of these churches.
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