11 fortresses that will spark your wanderlust Originally built to protect residents from enemies, walled cities today are more often viewed as tourist destinations than defensive fortresses. But for hundreds and even thousands of years, walls?as well as the rivers, coastlines, and hillsides people incorporated into their fortifications?were an integral part of city life.
Defensive walls thrived in ancient Mesopotamia and both the Greeks and ancient Chinese used various types of fortifications as protection. From the 12th century onward in Europe, the increasing urbanization of settlements required larger and more secure walls, resulting in the proliferation of hundreds of walled cities across the continent.
By the 19th century, however, many walls around the world were demolished in an effort to modernize cities. And in the 20th century, walls were used less for protection and more often to prevent the movement of people from place to place. Today?s surviving walled cities often feature a historic city center, sometimes surrounded by a more modern city that oozes out past the ramparts. In honor of these architecture time capsules, we?ve rounded up 11 of the prettiest walled cities in the world.

Taroudant, Morocco:

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The ramparts of the walled city of Taroudant in Morocco.

Located in the Sous Valley in southern Morocco, Taroudant is a town entirely enclosed by ramparts. Sometimes called ?Little Marrakesh,? the city?s famous r...