Sunday, November 10, 2013

Tegart Forts.

This is coolbert:

Here with more on the Tegart Forts [often misspelled as Taggart].

More architecture of a military and quasi-military nature, built in a robust manner, forts, more correctly understood as a police station. Occupying usually dominant terrain and constructed to withstand siege.

"In Israel, the name is often misspelled as 'Taggart'. This is probably from the compound transliteration of an English name into Hebrew and then back into English."

Forts AS STILL IN USE TODAY, OVER SEVENTY YEARS AFTER BEING BUILT.

A legacy once more of that British Mandated Palestine, built in the 1930's a response to the Arab Revolt.

"Tegart fort is a type of militarized police fort constructed throughout Palestine during the British Mandatory period."

"Sir Charles Tegart designed the forts in 1938 based on his experiences in the Indian insurgency. They were built of reinforced concrete with water systems that would allow them to withstand a month-long siege. Dozens of the structures were built according to the same basic plan"


This Tegart fort occupies dominant terrain? That watch tower is original?

"Many of them can still be seen in Israel today, and continue to be used as police stations and jails."

Such was the robustness of the construction they are to an extent functioning entities, very useful, capable of surviving a prolonged period of combat.

And EVEN a popular tourist attraction. The Taggart forts receiving a mention in the book by Leon Uris: "Exodus".

Thanks to Haaretz read about this one Tegart fort still a going concern and even being refurbished:

"Galilee police station reveals Mandate-era charms"


This purports to be the interrogation room in a Tegart fort. That is a mannequin and not a human behind the desk. Woe to you finding yourself in this place.

"Among other items . . . discovered [was] a plumbing diagram of the old fort's water system - actually four separate systems, including one that brought water from a nearby mountain and one that collected rainwater. Since Tegart forts were supposed to be able to survive a month-long siege, insuring a reliable water supply was critical. The rainwater cistern has been restored and is used to water the police station's garden."

As might well be intuitively understood, an undiminished access to water in an arid environment most crucial.

coolbert.

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