CITY WALLS, GATES, AND ENTRANCES INTO THE CITY
The walls are 35 feet tall and are 20 feet wide. They are made of very beautiful medium-dark blue stone for the first 25 feet and then the last 10 feet of the wall is made of white stone. It represents the ocean of blue with waves of white on top, to honor the patron deity, Poseidon. They are impressive and strong. Along the whole wall is parapets so that guards can walk the walls. There are four gated entrances and they are described in the following paragraph. At each of the four gated entrances and then at each corner of the wall are guard towers (so there are 12 guard towers
Eastern and Western road entrances (these are the “road only” entrances not the river entrances)- at each gated entrance to the east and west, a metal gate spans the road. Remember, there are no rivers on the east and west entrances of the city – just road. The gates are flanked by two towers that rise 10 feet above the parapeted wall top (so they are at 45 feet above the ground). The gates are strong black metal with gold leaves entwining the metal – nicely made and ornately decorated with the gold leaf. The gates are 15 feet tall and 30 feet wide – they are made of two halves so each half is 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide. They open from the middle and swing inward toward the city. They get bared when closed with a heavy metal pole and this pole can also be locked into place. But you can still see through the gates into the city as they are open metal gates (like a metal fence today). But a second, solid wood gate can be lowered down from a recess in the walls and ceiling above to strengthen the metal gates and obscure vision into (or out of) the city. So the east and west entrances have metal gates that swing inward in two halves and they can be bolted and barred and in time of need a second wooden gate is lowered from above just behind these metal gates. All in all, the security is very sound and when the metal gates are barred and the heavy wooden door is lowered behind them, it is quite strong. In addition, on the inside part of these entrances – so on the inside part of the portal, is a second wooden gate that can be lowered from a recess above. Thus, if the first metal gate/wood gate combo is penetrated, the enemy would then run 20 feet through the portal and encounter another wooden gate. In addition, there are “murder” holes and arrow slits in the walls and ceilings of the 20 foot long portal through the wall. So while the enemy is trying to get through the second, wooden door, they are being hit with burning oil and arrows. There are 4 doors in the walls – two on each side, one near the outer wall and one near the inner wall - that must lead to the corridors within the walls and to stairs leading to the parapet and then towers. The doors are guarded and much of the time locked too.
The north and south gated entrances span the river and are thus very wide. The east and west entrances are just road entrances and are thus narrower. The gates that span the river are incredibly impressive and massive. The gate that opens over the river is huge. Wide enough for the largest of ships to pass through (figure 60 feet wide). But it does not span the whole river as that would be much larger than that (the river is about 600 feet wide at most points in the city). Instead the city wall goes over the river and the gate for the boats is cut into this wall that goes over the river. The gate, when open, is lowered down instead of being pulled up. It is then pulled up to close it. When it goes down, it is lowered into a slot cut into the part of the wall that is below it connected to the riverbed. The wall goes down to the riverbed too – so you cannot swim under it. To allow water to flow – there are metal gated flow ports built into the wall below the water level and these are covered by heavy meta grates and they are inspected periodically for any weakness or damage.
Eastern and Western road entrances (these are the “road only” entrances not the river entrances)- at each gated entrance to the east and west, a metal gate spans the road. Remember, there are no rivers on the east and west entrances of the city – just road. The gates are flanked by two towers that rise 10 feet above the parapeted wall top (so they are at 45 feet above the ground). The gates are strong black metal with gold leaves entwining the metal – nicely made and ornately decorated with the gold leaf. The gates are 15 feet tall and 30 feet wide – they are made of two halves so each half is 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide. They open from the middle and swing inward toward the city. They get bared when closed with a heavy metal pole and this pole can also be locked into place. But you can still see through the gates into the city as they are open metal gates (like a metal fence today). But a second, solid wood gate can be lowered down from a recess in the walls and ceiling above to strengthen the metal gates and obscure vision into (or out of) the city. So the east and west entrances have metal gates that swing inward in two halves and they can be bolted and barred and in time of need a second wooden gate is lowered from above just behind these metal gates. All in all, the security is very sound and when the metal gates are barred and the heavy wooden door is lowered behind them, it is quite strong. In addition, on the inside part of these entrances – so on the inside part of the portal, is a second wooden gate that can be lowered from a recess above. Thus, if the first metal gate/wood gate combo is penetrated, the enemy would then run 20 feet through the portal and encounter another wooden gate. In addition, there are “murder” holes and arrow slits in the walls and ceilings of the 20 foot long portal through the wall. So while the enemy is trying to get through the second, wooden door, they are being hit with burning oil and arrows. There are 4 doors in the walls – two on each side, one near the outer wall and one near the inner wall - that must lead to the corridors within the walls and to stairs leading to the parapet and then towers. The doors are guarded and much of the time locked too.
The north and south gated entrances span the river and are thus very wide. The east and west entrances are just road entrances and are thus narrower. The gates that span the river are incredibly impressive and massive. The gate that opens over the river is huge. Wide enough for the largest of ships to pass through (figure 60 feet wide). But it does not span the whole river as that would be much larger than that (the river is about 600 feet wide at most points in the city). Instead the city wall goes over the river and the gate for the boats is cut into this wall that goes over the river. The gate, when open, is lowered down instead of being pulled up. It is then pulled up to close it. When it goes down, it is lowered into a slot cut into the part of the wall that is below it connected to the riverbed. The wall goes down to the riverbed too – so you cannot swim under it. To allow water to flow – there are metal gated flow ports built into the wall below the water level and these are covered by heavy meta grates and they are inspected periodically for any weakness or damage.
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