Acropolis
The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world. Located on a limestone hill high above Athens, Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, religious centers and a tourist attraction.
The term acropolis means ‘high city’ and can refer to many natural strongholds constructed on rocky, elevated ground in Greece, but the Acropolis of Athens is the best known. Acropolis is located on the Attica plateau of Greece and includes four hills.
Its walls have withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism but still stand as a reminder of the history of Greece. Today it remains a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site and home to several temples, the most famous of which is the Parthenon.
Newcastle City Walls
Built in the 13th and 14th centuries during a time when the North of England was under frequent threat of invasion by the Scottish. The wall, over 2 miles in circumference and surrounded by a fosse (defensive ditch), was built to protect the town which already had a castle but not one which provided sufficient protection for the local merchants’ properties.
The walls were built with 6 main fortified gates (visible on the map to the right): Close Gate, West Gate, New Gate, Pilgrim Street Gate, Pandon Gate and Sand Gate; a number of posterns (smaller gates); 17 towers, and several smaller turrets. Inside the walls were further defences: the Black Gate and Castle Keep. As hostilities with Scotland declined, the wall fell into disrepair and then, as the town grew, large sections were demolished, with the stones being re-used for new buildings.
Comentarios