Culă

A culă (plural: cule; from Turkish kule "tower, turret") is a semi-fortified building found in the Oltenia region of Romania with a number of examples located in the historical province of Muntenia. They were originally built as homes for the ruling Boyar class to defend against incursions by Ottoman troops during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars or against violent raids by rebels from the south of the Danube during the eighteenth century (e.g. Osman Pazvantoğlu). Similar constructions exist throughout the Balcans, see Tower houses in the Balkans.