T'iknis fortress (Kalkankale - T'iknis)

The medieval Armenian fortress of Tignis is about ten kilometres east of the small town of Akyaka in the province of Kars, at one end of a flat-topped hill overlooking the village of Kalkankale (formerly called Tignis). 

History.
The T'iknis fortress was erected by Armenian Bagratid kings in order to defence its capital Ani from the north. At 1960 it was damaged by Turks that choosed this historical monument as a target for military trainings.

Name's origin.
An alternative spelling and pronunciation of its name is Tiknis (in Armenian: Թիկնիս ), and an alternative name in use during the 19th century was Kizilkule ("Red Tower" in Turkish). Kalkan is a Turkish word meaning shield or any upright barrier, and is probably a reference to the verticality of the fortress walls, in fact name Kalkan Kale is a direct translation of older - Armenian name of T'iknis which in armenian language also means Shield.

To the south of the fortress is an empty, almost perfectly flat plateau that, however, bares no visible traces of a settlement. The other sides of the fortress look out over a valley and are built at the edge of a steep slope. The view from the site is very impressive: Gyumri and all of the upper reaches of the Akhurian/Arpa river are clearly visible.