Walls are some of the first structures ever built by mankind, and in the 11,000 years since the first known walled structure at Gobekli Tepe was built, their purpose hasn't changed much. Most walls are designed to keep something out, whether it be the cold, the rain, animals, or intruders. With the advent of cities, states, and nations, the use of walls grew and expanded into larger and larger scales. Soon, entire cities were surrounded by protective barriers, and nations and empires built long, sprawling boundaries up and down their borders. Today, border walls and boundaries are built not so much to keep out armies and violent invaders, but also to regulate and monitor the movement of people in and out of a given area. Walls have, throughout history, been strong and silent players in the events of the world, have even been the center of controversies, and their construction or destruction has often had consequences felt across the globe.
Read on to find out more about the most famous (and infamous) border walls in history.