Siege Weapons of the Islamic Forces of the 12th-13th Centuries

One of the sections of the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology in Istanbul is devoted to mechanical devices for military purposes.

Mainly, these are throwing tools used for the siege of fortresses.

Devices for throwing stones were known in ancient Greece and were called catapults. Initially, they used the power of torsion bars (twisted ropes). Catapults using the energy of gravity probably appeared in China in the 5th century BC, in the Byzantine Empire they became known in the 7th century. In Europe, such tools are called " trebuchet "(trébuchet), which in French means "lever scales". Indeed, the design resembles a scale and uses the same laws of mechanics.

The device is a lever, at the long end of which a sling with a stone is attached, and at the short end a massive counterweight. To bring the mechanism into combat condition, the long end of the lever is pulled down by a winch, lifting the short one and giving the counterweight significant potential energy.

Some catapults were gigantic in size, and several "squirrel" wheels were used to bring them into combat condition.

Another weapon of the 12th century, a large crossbow that fires three arrows at the same time.

An original design that combines a catapult with a ballista, it shoots both rocks and large arrows. The tension of the throwing rod is made together with the tension of the bowstring of the ballista, the shot of both guns is made simultaneously.

In one of the Arabic manuscripts of the 14th century, a ram for punching walls, mounted on wheels, is described. The crew of the gun is located in a metal-sheathed tower, protecting it from arrows and stones.

In the 12th century, guns appeared in the Arab world that used the energy of burning gunpowder to throw projectiles. The design of this cannon, which fires a projectile in the shape of a pike, dates back to the 13th century, and its description was found in a 14th-century manuscript. The shape of the projectile suggests that this weapon was used to break through gates or destroy walls.