Defensive wall

The defensive wall of , .
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The defensive wall of Braşov, Romania.

Defensive walls were used to enclose settlements from prehistory into the modern period. Generally, these are referred to as city walls or town walls, although there were also walls, such as the Great Wall of China and the Atlantic Wall, which extended far beyond the borders of a city and were used to enclose vast regions.

Many town walls were supplemented with towers and were frequently surrounded by dry ditches or wet moats. The most important and expensive components of town walls were the gates. The practice of building these massive walls, though having its origins in perhistory, was refined during the rise of city-states, and energetic wall-building continued into the medieval period and beyond in certain parts of Europe.

Often the walls proved impenetrable to attacking armies which then laid siege to the city. Nonetheless, walls also had a number of important non-military functions. They symbolised the wealth and prestige of communities, served as barriers against disease and 'low level' types of threat and were valued by citizens as perambulations, while gates acted as toll-collection points and were often showpieces of municipal pride. Within walled cities, the poor and "noxious trades" were generally located near or outside the walls.

Contents

Canada

China

Croatia

  • Dubrovnik has well-preserved city fortifications including towers, gate, rampart walk and two citadels guarding the docks.
  • Stone walls built in 14th-16th century, at the isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula, to the north of Dubrovnik; 890 meters long town wall and 5 km Great Wall outside the town
  • Karlovac city walls, built in 1579 as a six-point star with bastions.

France

Germany


Israel

Ireland

Middle East

  • Jericho's Ancient City Walls - probably the most ancient stone wall ever discovered.

Morocco and Western Sahara

Philippines

Missing image
Warsaw_oldtown2.jpg
City walls in Warsaw

Poland

Spain

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

See also

es:Muralla no:Bymur fr:remparts

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