Kessenich Castle, Euskirchen, Germany

The two-part Kessenich Castle on the Erft river, which fed its moat, was first mentioned in records of the early 14th century. In 1339 the castle was registered in the fiefdom of the Margrave of Jülich. In the centuries up to 1828 the castle only belonged to the Jülich aristocracy for a short time. The Lords of Binsfeld owned and lived in the castle until 1604, when ownership was transferred via marriage to the aristocrat Waldbott von Bassenheim. In 1828 it passed into bourgeois hands and has been privately owned since 1884. Even today the essential features of the original two-part castle can be recognized, although the ditch between the fore-castle and manor house was filled in during the 19th century. The castle entrance is through the gatehouse, built in 1562, which still bears the coat-of-arms of the von Binsfeld family.

Today the original manor house has two wings with a round corner tower. It now appears to be a romantic country house, while the old foundations for further living quarters and towers are still preserved.

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Kreis Euskirchen

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

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