The Great Wall of Gorgan: Red Snake of Iran Saw Empires Rise and Civilizations Crumble

The Great Wall of Gorgan, also known as the ‘Red Snake’, is a defense system located in the northern Iranian province of Golestan. This defensive wall dates to the Sassanian period, and is believed to have been manned by Sassanian troops up to at least the first half of the 7th century AD. The Great Wall of Gorgan is an engineering marvel due to its enormous length and its technical sophistication. It was an effective defensive structure for the Sassanians to successfully defend their northern border against invading enemies.

Construction Begins on the Great Wall of Gorgan

Prior to the advent of scientific dating, various dates were proposed for the construction of the Great Wall of Gorgan. Some scholars, for instance, proposed that the wall was built during the time of Alexander the Great, i.e. the 4th century BC, whilst others believe that it dates to the reign of the Sassanian king Khosrow I, i.e. the 6th century AD. The majority of scholars, however, were of the opinion that the wall was constructed sometime during the 2nd or 1st century BC, when the area was part of the Parthian Empire.