Béguinage of Lier is today a walled village in the community and consists of 162 buildings and St. Margaret's Church. One of the four entrances to the beguinage is a renaissance gate surmounted by a statue of the Holy Begga. Lier Béguinage was founded in the 1258, when three sisters decided found a place for spiritual women. About 200 years later, the beguinage was grown and had a church, hospital and three monasteries. Beguinage was damaged by fire in 1485, 1526 and 1542. Baroque gate was built around 1690. St. Margaret Church Baroque façade is from the 1600s.
During the French Revolution Lier Beguinage was confiscated and sold. In the 1990s, large parts of houses were restored. Today Lier Béguinage is one of Flemish Béguinages described as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
References: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.