Greatest walls in history

The first walls were city walls, and they were built with the very earliest towns, such as Jericho, the Biblical city, which was built around 12,000 years ago in the ninth millennium B.C. Walls in structures serve several functions: they support roofs, floors, and ceilings; they enclose a space as part of the building envelope, along with the roof, to give structures shape; and they offer shelter and security. Furthermore, the wall may include numerous services such as electrical systems or plumbing. But walls were mainly used as a major defence mechanism during ancient times.

Posted On May 21st, 2021

The Great Wall of China

Qin Shi Huang, often known as the First Emperor, unified China in 220 B.C.E. He oversaw the process of combining the existing barriers into a single structure. This massive edifice, arguably the most renowned of them, is also probably the most beautiful. However, don't be deceived by its elegant appearance. The military purpose of this towering edifice was to safeguard China from her raiding neighbours. Despite its massive size, the wall was frequently broken, most notably by the Manchus, who later conquered Beijing and established the Qing dynasty. It measured 13,171 miles in length.

The Berlin Wall

From 1961 until 1989, the Berlin Wall was a fortified concrete barrier that physically and ideologically separated Berlin. On August 13, 1961, the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) began construction on the wall. The wall separated Allied-occupied West Berlin from Soviet-controlled East Berlin (and adjacent East Germany), severing families and causing agony for the city's residents, with scores of people killed attempting to cross the border. The remaining sections of the wall provide a fascinating glimpse into a once-divided metropolis.

Western Wall

Because of its closeness to the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, erected by Herod the Great during the Roman period, became sacred. For several decades, local and Expatriate Jews have devoted their prayers to the Western Wall. Because of the mournful prayers of the Jews who worship there, the Western Wall, Hebrew Ha-Kotel Ha-Maaravi, is also known as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem's Old City. They lament the temple's destruction and hope for its restoration. The Western Wall measures approximately 160 feet (50 metres) in length and 60 feet (20 metres) in height.

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall, located in Great Britain and constructed on the instructions of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, was a defensive barrier that delineated the Roman Empire's northwest boundary for 300 years. After a visit to Britain by Emperor Hadrian (reign A.D. 117-138), a ruler keen to solidify the Roman Empire's frontiers, construction began about A.D. 122. Hadrian's wall was an attempt to create a defendable barrier between the subjugated south and the untouched north. The stone wall, which reached the highest point of roughly 4.6 metres, was 3 metres wide, large enough for a walkway and maybe a parapet wall to run along the top. The grass area was 6 metres long and 6 metres broad.

Antonine Wall

The wall served as a border for the empire as well as a deterrent against marauding Caledonian tribes. The Antonine Wall, however less well-known than Hadrian's Wall, was another vast Roman barrier. The fortress, which dates from AD142 and was mostly constructed of hay and wood, was commissioned by Hadrian's successor, Emperor Antoninus Pius. Little of this historic wall survives, yet the previous boundary, which defined the Roman Empire's northernmost limit, may still be followed.

Great Zimbabwe Walls

Great Zimbabwe was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, but it is now a ruined metropolis. Those ruins, on the other hand, are encircled by massive walls that serve as a hulking testament of the empire's once-impressive grandeur. Great Zimbabwe's ruins originate from the 11th century and are spread out across an area of almost 80 hectares, almost the size of a small town. Despite this, it is estimated that 18,000 people lived in the city during its heyday. Great Zimbabwe was built and developed for more than 300 years in a native style that rejected rectilinearity in favour of flowing curves, beginning in the eleventh century A.D. by Bantu-speaking forefathers of the Shona.

Wall of Babylon

Babylon was an important city in ancient Mesopotamia, and its famed walls, which were once thought to be impregnable, famously protected it from invading armies. The walls, which are made of blue glazed tiles and incorporated bas-relief dragons, have been destroyed by war, negligence, and plunder throughout the years. Saddam Hussein did start work on the walls, which some academics think housed the Babylonian Hanging Gardens. The Walls of Babylon encircled the city and safeguarded it from attack, enclosing it on all sides and even spanned the Euphrates River. They were originally listed in Antipater's list of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.

Wall of Ston

The European Union's second-longest wall. This old stronghold was built to protect Dubrovnik and the neighbouring salt flats, which were the city's economic backbone. The 3.5-mile wall and its many towers connect the villages of Ston and Mali Ston, passing through some beautiful landscape along the way. The walls stretch for around 1,940 metres, enclosing the majority of the ancient city, and rise to a maximal height of roughly 25 metres. Their mission was to protect the Republic as well as the peninsula. It is regarded as one of Europe's greatest orchestrated cities.