By: Dennis Cassinelli

 

Human beings are very territorial and usually fence or wall their property. As a result, throughout history, many  walls have been built, either to define the perimeter of their property or protect them from from invasion by others. In this article, I will mention some of the more famous walls that have been constructed.
 
Perhaps the most famous wall is the Great Wall of China. This wall was built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century BC to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the attacks of nomadic tribes from the north. Several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous walls is the one built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang but little of that wall remains. The majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD).

The Western Wall, sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall is a famous Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 BC by Herod the Great. The remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards. In Judaism, the Western Wall is venerated as the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. It has become a place of pilgrimage for Jews, as it is the closest permitted accessible site to the holiest spot in Judaism, namely the Foundation Stone, which lies on the Temple Mount.

Troy is a legendary city in what is now northwestern Turkey, made famous in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad. According to Iliad, this is where the Trojan War took place. The archaeological site of Troy contains several layers of ruins. The layer Troy VIIa was probably the Troy of Homer and has been dated to the mid- to late-13th century BC. Portions of the famous walls of Troy are still visible. Today, a large number of tourists visit Troy each year. The visitor sees a highly commercialized site, with a large wooden horse built as a playground for children, then shops and a museum.

Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Romans to protect their colony Britannia from the tribes in Scotland. It stretches for 117 kilometers (73 miles) across the north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Construction started in 122 AD following a visit by Roman Emperor Hadrian, and was largely completed within six years. The wall was garrisoned by around 9,000 soldiers, including infantry and cavalry. Although only stretches of this famous wall are still visible today it is among the most popular tourist attraction in England. There is a national path that follows the whole length of the wall from Wallsend to Bowness-on Solway

President Donald Trump’s Wall was constructed along the border between the United States of America and Mexico. It was constructed of vertical steel posts, making it very difficult to climb. Any openings in the wall were closely guarded against any illegal aliens from entering the country. Drug smugglers were apprehended and denied entry.
After the Trump administration, President Joe Biden’s administration removed sections of the Trump wall and allowed the illegal aliens to enter the country in droves and even provided transportation to other states within the United States of America. Drug cartels brought in heroin and fentanyl that has caused the death of hundreds of American citizens.
This article is by Dayton Author and Historian, Dennis Cassinelli. You can order his books at a discount on his blog at denniscassinelli.com  Just click on ”order books”