Gorgan Home to Asia’s Second Great Wall

News Category: Arsacid Dynasty

Jabraeil Nokandeh, an archeologist from Golestan province said that ’Gorgan Wall’ is the second historical wall in the Asia and the highest historical structure in the Gorgan region of northeastern Iran.

Nokandeh told IRNA that Gorgan Historical Wall has been mentioned as ’Anoushirvan Dam’, ’Firouz Dam’, ’Eskandar Dam’ and ’Defense Wall’ in historical references and scientific accounts.

According to him, the wall extends for 200 kilometers from Billi Mountain slope in Golestan Forest to Safa Ishan village in Ghomishan along the banks of Gorgan River.

The main material used in constructing the wall is bricks measuring 40X40X10 centimeters. Stone is hardly noticed on the structure.
Archeological studies of the historical wall was first launched in 1976-1977 under Mohammad Yousef Kiani, which unfortunately did not continue numerous reasons, he said, adding that in some sites, the remains of an ancient dam and water canals were discovered during excavations near the wall in 1999.

The wall was built during the Parthian Dynasty to protect mainland ran from invasion by north. It was restored during the Sassanid era (3-7th centuries AD). Its construction is contemporaneous with that of the Great Wall of China, and it is second only to that edifice as the largest defensive wall in existence.