Scale This Quiz on the World’s Ancient Walls

The Amorite Wall was built by Sumerian rulers to protect their lands in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) from invasion by a neighboring group, the Amorites. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the wall was one of the first defensive fortifications in history, but did not prevent the destruction of the Sumerian capital of Ur and the subsequent collapse of the ancient civilization.

Still visible today on the outskirts of the city, the Aurelian Walls were 12.5 miles long and eventually reached 35 feet in height. The original walls were made of concrete, and later additions to the system included 380 towers placed every 100 feet, as well 18 gated entrances to the city.

The fortress of Sacsayhuamán was the largest structure built by the Inca civilization. Construction began in the 15th century, near the city of Cuzco. Despite a lack of sophisticated machinery, workers cut and placed a series of massive stone blocks — some weighing 100 tons — to form the walls. The site was used for religious and military ceremonies until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532, and was rediscovered during excavations in 1934.

Dubrovnik’s old town stood in for the fictional city of King’s Landing on the popular HBO television series “Game of Thrones.” The city’s historic center is fully encircled by the Walls of Dubrovnik, built beginning in the 13th century (when the city was known as Ragusa). The 6,300 foot-long system took more than 300 years to complete and includes a series of impressive towers and fortifications.

Built between 465 and 446 BCE, the Long Walls of Athens connected the Greek city with its primary port, Piraeus, located about five miles away. The three walls allowed for free movement between the city and the sea, and served as a barrier to protect precious farmland from outside attack. The walls were breached by Sparta during the Peloponnesian War, helping ensure Athens’ defeat in 404 BCE.

The first sections of the Great Wall of China date back to the third century BCE, and the wall was expanded and rebuilt by a series of rulers, with some parts still standing today. The best-preserved and most famous parts of the wall were the work of the Ming dynasty, which began a massive expansion in 1474 CE to protect their lands, especially the new capital of Beijing. They introduced gates and fortresses that stretch some 13,000 miles.

Byzantine emperor Theodosius II began construction of the walls of Constantinople in 410 CE. The system contained a series of three defensive walls as well as moats and ditches. The massive brick-and-limestone inner wall was 16 feet thick and 39 feet tall. The walls protected the city from several attacks and sieges, but were badly damaged by the Ottoman army’s cannons in the 15th century.

Located in the oldest part of the city, the Kremlin dates back to the 12th century CE. The structure’s recognizable brick walls and stunning architecture date to the 15th and 16th centuries, meant to showcase Russia’s growing power. Several early Russian leaders, including Ivan the Terrible, are buried at the complex, and the Kremlin is now the official residence of Russia’s president.

Construction of Hadrian’s Wall began in the second century BCE, to protect Roman Britain from invasion by barbarian tribes to the north. Located near the present-day border of England and Scotland, the wall included 14 forts and earthwork mounds as additional protection. Only a few portions still survive, but “walking the wall” has become a popular pastime for both tourists and locals.

The Western Wall (also called the Wailing Wall or the Kotel) is the only surviving section of the Second Temple, a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem that was originally built in the sixth century BCE and was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The site has become a place of pilgrimage for Jews from around the world, and many who visit leave prayers scrawled on paper within the crevices of the wall’s stones.