Great Wall of ChinaAlternative Chinese nameTraditional ChineseSimplified ChineseLiteral meaning"The 10,000-li Long Wall"The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. The first walls date to the 7th century BC; these were joined together in the Qin dynasty.
Sasanian defense linesThe defense lines of the Sasanians were part of their military strategy and tactics. They were networks of fortifications, walls, and/or ditches built opposite the territory of the enemies. These defense lines are known from tradition and archaeological evidence. The fortress systems of the Western, Arabian, and Central Asian fronts were of both defensive and offensive functions.
GorganGorgan (Persian: گرگان; ) is a city in the Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It lies approximately 400 km (250 mi) to the northeast of the national capital Tehran, and some 30 km (19 mi) away from the Caspian Sea. HistoryThere are several archaeological sites near Gorgan, including Tureng Tepe and Shah Tepe, in which remains dating from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras.
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan.
Eurasian SteppeThe Eurasian Steppe, also called the Great Steppe or The Steppe, is an area of grassland in Eurasia that is mostly located in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsbiome. It stretches westward some 8000 kilometres (5000 miles) from Manchuria across Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Hungary.
Sasanian EmpireThe Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩, romanized: Ērānšahr, lit. 'Empire of the Iranians'), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651 AD (the era of late antiquity). Lasting for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign over ancient Iran was second only to that of the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia which immediately preceded it.
HyrcaniaHyrcania (; Greek: Ὑρκανία Hyrkanía, Old Persian: 𐎺𐎼𐎣𐎠𐎴 Varkâna, Middle Persian: 𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭢𐭠𐭭 Gurgān, Akkadian: Urqananu) is the historical region of the Hyrcani people composed of the land south-east of the Caspian Sea in modern-day Iran and Turkmenistan, bound in the south by the Alborz mountain range and the Kopet Dag in the east.
Caspian SeaThe Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, also described as the world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it is situated in both Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia, south of the fertile plains of Southern Russia in Eastern Europe, and north of the mountainous Iranian Plateau.
Hephthalites5th–8th-century nomadic confederation in Central AsiaThe Hephthalites or Ephthalites (Bactrian: ηβοδαλο, romanized: Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the Spet Xyon and in Sanskrit and Prakrit as the Sveta-huna), were a people who lived in Central Asia during the 5th to 8th centuries CE, and were a part of what numismatist Robert Göbl [de] calls Iranian Huns.
Ch'ŏlli changsŏngThe Ch'ŏlli changsŏng (Korean: 천리장성; Hanja: 千里長城) or Great Wall of Korea may refer to either of two massive fortifications built between medieval Korea and the Chinese to the west and other tribes to the north. The first is a 7th-century network of military garrisons built by Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. These are now located in Northeast China. The second is an 11th-century wall built by Korea's Goryeodynasty, now located in North Korea.
Gates of AlexanderThe Gates of Alexander, also known as the Caspian Gates, are one of several mountain passes in eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus, and Persia, often imagined as an actual fortification, or as a symbolic boundary separating the civilized from the uncivilized world. The original Gates of Alexander were just south of the Caspian Sea, at Rhagae, where Alexander crossed while pursuing Darius III.
FortificationA fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a militaryconstruction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latinfortis ("strong") and facere ("to make"). From very early history to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.