Heritage with Related Tags
Historic District of Old Québec
Quebec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only city in North America that has retained its walls, along with the numerous forts, gates and fortifications that still surround Old Quebec. Built on a cliff, the Upper Town remains the religious and administrative center, with churches, monasteries and other monuments such as the Bastion of Dauphiné, the Citadel and the Chateau Fontaine. Together with the Lower Town and its old quarters, the Upper Town forms an urban agglomeration that is one of the best examples of a colonial fortified city.
Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
Campeche is a typical port city in the New World during the Spanish colonial period. The historic center retains the outer walls and fortification system designed to defend this Caribbean port from sea attacks.
Defence Line of Amsterdam
This line of defence (built between 1883 and 1920) stretches 135 kilometres around the city of Amsterdam and is the only fortification system based on the principle of controlling water. The Dutch people have used their expertise in hydraulic engineering for defence since the 16th century. The centre of the country is protected by a network of 45 armed forts, which work in conjunction with temporary flooding of the polders and an intricate system of canals and locks.
Erbil Citadel
Erbil Citadel is a fortification located on top of an imposing ovoid mound (a hill formed by generations of people living and rebuilding on the same site) in the Kurdistan region of Erbil Governorate. A continuous high 19th-century wall still gives the visual impression of an impregnable fortress overlooking the city of Erbil. The citadel features a peculiar fan-shaped pattern that dates back to the late Ottoman period in Erbil. Written and pictorial historical records attest to the antiquity of the site's settlement - Erbil corresponds to ancient Arbela, an important Assyrian political and religious centre - while archaeological discoveries and investigations have shown that the mound conceals layers and remains of previous settlements.
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal is a magnificent construction of the early 19th century, covering the Rideau and Cataraqui Rivers, stretching 202 kilometers from Ottawa south to the port of Kingston on Lake Ontario. It was built primarily for strategic military purposes, as Britain and the United States competed for control of the region. The canal was one of the first canals designed for steam-powered ships and also featured a series of fortifications. It is the best-preserved still-water canal in North America, demonstrating the large-scale application of this European technology. It is the only canal from the early 19th century North American canal-building era to remain on its original route, with much of its structure intact.
Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena
Located on a bay of the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. The city is divided into three neighborhoods: San Pedro, with its cathedral and many Andalusian-style palaces; Santiago, where merchants and the middle class live; and Gethimane, or "the people's quarter."
Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
Built in the 11th century to protect Spanish territory from the Moors, the "City of Saints and Stones" is the birthplace of Saint Theresa and the burial place of the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, and still retains its medieval simplicity. This purity of form can still be seen in the Gothic cathedral and the fortifications, which, with 82 semicircular towers and 9 gates, are the most complete fortifications in Spain.
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
The site contains a vast undiscovered archaeological, historical and living cultural heritage set in a magnificent landscape, including prehistoric (Chrysocolla) sites, hill forts of early Hindu capitals and remains of the 16th century capital of Gujarat. The site also includes remains of fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential areas, agricultural buildings and water facilities dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries. The Kalikamata Temple on top of Pavagadh Hill is considered an important holy site and attracts large numbers of pilgrims throughout the year. The site is the only intact and unaltered pre-Islamic Mughal city.
Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle is strategically located on the River Sund, a body of water between Denmark and Sweden. Kronborg Castle has huge symbolic significance for the Danish people and played an important role in the history of Northern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. Construction of this outstanding Renaissance castle began in 1574 and its fortifications were reinforced in the late 17th century according to the standards of military architecture of the time. Kronborg Castle remains intact to this day. Kronborg Castle is world-famous for being the setting of Elsinore, the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Rohtas Fort
After defeating the Mughal Emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah Suri built a strong fortification at Rohtas, a strategic location in present-day northern Pakistan. The fortification has never been captured and remains intact to this day. The main part of the fortification is a massive 4-kilometer-long wall, which is lined with bastions and has huge doorways. Rohtas Fort, also known as Qila Rohtas, is an example of early Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia.
Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo
These Panamanian forts on the Caribbean coast are outstanding examples of 17th- and 18th-century military architecture, part of a system of defenses built by the Spanish crown to protect transatlantic trade.
Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Galle reached its peak in the 18th century before the arrival of the British. Galle is the finest example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and Southeast Asia, reflecting a fusion of European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.
Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda
Founded in 1612, the town of St. George is an outstanding example of the earliest English urban settlement in the New World. Its associated fortifications vividly demonstrate the development of English military engineering from the 17th to the 20th centuries, adapted to the development of artillery during this period.
Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar
The site includes six fortifications in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, stretching over 1,000 km across the Italian region of Lombardy and the eastern Adriatic coast. The fortifications throughout Stato da Terra protected the Republic of Venice from other European powers. The fortifications in the northwest and the Maritimes protected the sea routes and ports from the Adriatic to the Levant. They were essential to support Venice's expansion and authority. The introduction of gunpowder led to a major shift in military technology and architecture, reflected in the design of the so-called alla moderna / fortress-style fortifications, which later spread throughout Europe.
Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent
The castle, ancient city and fortress buildings of Derbent were part of the northern defense line of the Sassanid Empire, stretching to the east and west of the Caspian Sea. The fortification was built of stone. It consisted of two parallel walls, forming a barrier from the coast to the mountains. The town of Derbent was built between these two walls, retaining some of its medieval architectural style. The site had great strategic importance until the 19th century.
City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications
Due to its strategic location, Luxembourg was one of the largest fortifications in Europe from the 16th century until the walls were demolished in 1867. Luxembourg was fortified several times as it passed from one European power to another: the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Habsburgs, the Kings of France and Spain, and finally the Prussians. Before being partially demolished, the fortifications were an excellent example of military architecture spanning several centuries.
San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba
Commercial and political competition in the Caribbean in the 17th century led to the construction of a series of large fortifications on rocky promontories to protect the vital port of Santiago. This complex of forts, magazines, bastions, and batteries is the most complete and best-preserved example of Spanish American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles.
Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
Angra, located on one of the islands of the Azores, was a port of call from the 15th century until the advent of steam engines in the 19th century. The 400-year-old fortifications of São Sebastian and São João Baptista are unique examples of military architecture. Angra was damaged in the 1980 earthquake and is currently under restoration.
Bahla Fort
The prosperity of the Bahla oasis is attributed to the Banu Nebhan, the dominant tribe in the area from the 12th to the late 15th century. The ruins of this massive fortress, with its walls and towers made of unfired bricks and stone foundations, are typical of this type of fortification and testify to the Banu Nebhan's power.
Hwaseong Fortress
In the late 18th century, King Jeongjo of Joseon moved his father's mausoleum to Suwon and built a fortified fortification around it, arranged according to the instructions of an influential military architect of the time who combined the latest developments in the field from both the East and the West. These massive walls, stretching nearly 6 kilometers, are still well preserved today; they have four gates and are equipped with bastions, turrets and other facilities.
Fort Jesus, Mombasa
Built by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596 to designs by Giovanni Battista Kerati to protect the port of Mombasa, the fort is one of the most outstanding and best preserved examples of 16th century Portuguese military fortification and a milestone in the history of this type of architecture. The layout and form of the fort reflect the Renaissance ideal that perfect proportion and geometric harmony can be found in the human body. The property covers an area of 2.36 hectares, including the fort's moat and surroundings.
Namhansanseong
Namhansanseong Fortress was the emergency capital of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), located in a mountainous area 25 km southeast of Seoul. Built and guarded by Buddhist monks, the fortress could accommodate 4,000 people and served important administrative and military functions. Its earliest remains date back to the 7th century, but it was rebuilt several times, especially in the early 17th century to guard against attacks by the Qing Dynasty. The city embodies a synthesis of defensive military engineering concepts of the time, based on Chinese and Japanese influences, and changes in the art of defense after the introduction of weapons using gunpowder from the West. Inhabited since ancient times and long a provincial capital, the city contains a variety of military, civil and religious buildings that became a symbol of Korean sovereignty.
Jinshanling Great Wall
The Jinshanling Great Wall stretches across the Yanshan branch at the junction of Luanping County, Chengde City, Hebei Province and Miyun County, Beijing. It is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Gubeikou Great Wall in the west. It is located at the intersection of Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. The Jinshanling Great Wall is located at 133 kilometers of National Highway 101, 130 kilometers from downtown Beijing, 90 kilometers from Chengde Mountain Resort, and 200 kilometers from Mulan Paddock. It is an important part of the golden tourism line in northern Beijing. It was built in the first year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD) and was presided over by General Xu Da. In the first year of Longqing (1567 AD), Qi Jiguang, the general of Jizhen, a famous anti-Japanese general, and Tan Lun, the governor of Ji and Liao, continued to build and rebuilt the Great Wall built by Xu Da. The Jinshanling Great Wall starts from Gubeikou, a famous pass in history, in the west and ends at the towering Wangjing Tower in the east. It is 10.5 kilometers long, with 5 passes, 67 watchtowers and 3 beacon towers along the way. It is famous for its wide view, dense watchtowers, unique landscape, exquisite architectural art, sound military defense system and well-preserved. Jinshanling is 700 meters above sea level. When you climb the mountain, you can see the mountains like waves in the north, the Simatai Reservoir like a mirror in the east and the Miyun Reservoir sparkling in the south. The Great Wall is built on the mountains and is ups and downs between the mountains and rivers. The situation is extremely magnificent. In particular, the watchtowers here are dense, exquisitely constructed and diverse in form. It is incomparable to the Great Walls in Badaling, Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan. It is one of the tourist attractions being developed in the Great Wall. The Jinshanling Great Wall is winding, with a wide view, dense watchtowers and magnificent scenery. There are high mountains and steep ridges inside and outside the Great Wall, and the vast forests are suitable for hiking and photography in spring, summer, autumn and winter. As a part of the Great Wall, Jinshanling Great Wall was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1987 and was included in the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 1988. Jinshanling Great Wall is also a national scenic spot and a national 5A tourist attraction. "Jinshanling-Simatai Great Wall" was rated as the seventh of China's top ten autumn colors by the 11th issue of "National Geographic China" in 2010. The article wrote: The Great Wall is the most luxurious mountain line in the world, the most beautiful viewing platform, and the most profound historical ruins. There are too many angles to see the beauty of the Great Wall, and its beauty cannot be fully expressed in words.
Dacia, the frontier of the Roman Empire
<p>From 500 BC, the Roman Empire began to gradually expand its territory into Europe and North Africa. By the 2nd century AD, the total length of the border reached about 7,500 kilometers. The Romanian section, the Dacia border, was in normal operation from 106 to 271 AD. The heritage site consists of 277 parts and is the longest and most complex land border of a former Roman province in Europe. It crosses different landforms and connects legionary forts, auxiliary forts, earthen walls, watchtowers, temporary camps, and secular buildings into a network. Dacia is the only province of ancient Rome located entirely on the north bank of the Danube. Its borders not only protected the hinterland from "barbarians" but also controlled access to valuable resources such as gold and salt. </p>
The Great Wall
Around 220 BC, during the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi, sections of earlier fortifications were linked together to form a unified defense system to protect against invasions from the north. Construction of the Great Wall continued until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when it became the largest military structure in the world. Its historical and strategic importance is rivaled only by its architectural significance.
Old Havana and its Fortification System
Havana was founded by the Spanish in 1519. By the 17th century it had become one of the main shipbuilding centres in the Caribbean. Although today Havana is a sprawling metropolis of 2 million inhabitants, its old centre still retains interesting Baroque and Neoclassical buildings, as well as clusters of private houses with arcades, balconies, cast-iron gates and interior courtyards.
Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Located in Rajasthan, this series of sites includes six magnificent forts at Chittorgarh, Gumbalgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jaipur and Jaisalmer. The forts vary in architectural style, some measuring up to 20 km in circumference, and bear witness to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Within the defensive walls were major urban centres, palaces, trade centres and other buildings, including temples, which often predated the fortifications, within which a sophisticated courtly culture that supported learning, music and the arts developed. Some of the urban centres within the fortifications have survived, as have many of the site’s temples and other sacred buildings. The forts took advantage of the natural defences offered by the terrain: hills, deserts, rivers and dense forests. They also had extensive water-harvesting structures, most of which are still in use today.
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
The "Roman Walls" represent the border line of the Roman Empire at its height in the 2nd century AD. It stretched for more than 5,000 km, from the Atlantic coast in the north of Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea, through North Africa to the Atlantic coast. Today, the remains of the wall include remains of ramparts, trenches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. Some parts of the line have been excavated, some reconstructed, and some destroyed. The two sections of the German Wall are 550 km long and stretch from northwest Germany to the Danube River in the southeast. The 118 km long Hadrian's Wall (UK) was built by Emperor Hadrian around 122 AD on the northernmost border of the Roman province of Britannia. It is a classic example of military zone organization and demonstrates ancient Roman defensive technology and geopolitical strategy. The Antonine Wall is a 60 km long fortification in Scotland, built by Emperor Antoninus Pisce in 142 AD to defend against "barbarians" from the north. It formed the northwesternmost part of the Roman border.
Himeji-jo
Himeji Castle is the best-preserved example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, consisting of 83 buildings with a highly developed defense system and sophisticated protective devices dating back to the early shogunate period. It is a masterpiece of wooden architecture that combines practicality and beauty, with white plastered earth walls unifying the elegant appearance and a subtle relationship between the building volumes and multi-layered roofs.
Roman Walls of Lugo
The walls of Lugo were built in the late 3rd century to defend the Roman town of Lucus. The entire wall is well preserved and is the best example of late Roman fortification in Western Europe.