Since time immemorial, walls have been built to protect kingdoms and dominions, as territorial markers, or holding off enemies. Now, walls and barriers have been created as odd structures of art and to serve as memorials. Read on to learn more about the world wonders seven odd walls that function more than their traditional purposes.
The John Lennon Wall
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What was once an ordinary wall in Mala Strana, Prague, Czech Republic, the John Lennon Wall has become one of the most surprising places to visit in Prague. The colorful, graffiti-covered, odd wall, serves as a monument to free speech and the peaceful rebellion of during the 1980s communist regime. The wall continuously undergoes change where new writing continued to turn up regularly. The original John Lennon portrait and the strong political messages written during the Velvet Revolution where all gone, buried under lightweight graffiti, created by western tourists.
The Peace Line
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An odd wall to separate Catholic and Protestant communities? Yes there are! First constructed in the early 1970s that served as houses shields during sporadic bouts of violence, the number of ’Peace Lines’ now swelled to more than 47 that divides across Belfast City and Northern Ireland. Several of these walls are 7 meter high and about a kilometer long. Though debates concerning keeping or dismantling these walls still run, the ‘Peace Lines’ still functions as an effective tools in keeping apart ‘warring factions’.
The Chewing Gum Wall
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Listed as one of the top germ infected tourist attractions in 2009, the Seattle Chewing Gum Wall is located in Post Alley, under Park Place Market. The tradition, which traces its beginning during the early 1990s, was started by theater patrons queuing for theater tickets. Efforts by theater attendants to scraped the odd wall all came to a naught and finally gave up in 19999. Now, thousands of chewing gum decorates this odd wall.
The Vietnam War Memorial Wall
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the Three Soldiers statue, comprises the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located in Washington, D.C. This national memorial honors gallant U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War. The Memorial Wall, a two granite walls 75 m long was designed by Maya Lin. Inscribed on the walls are 58,256 names of fallen soldier from the Vietnam War.
The Storm King Wall
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The Storm King wall located in Mountainville, New York, is built from stones found around the Storm King Art Center. Andy Goldsworthy created the artfully crafted stone wall in 1997-1998. The 694m long puzzle- like structure runs along a patchy forest and cascading down the hillside into a nearby pond. This odd wall is a classic example of combining art and horticulture.
The Israeli West Bank Wall
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Another odd wall and the most controversial one, the Israeli West Bank barrier is been built by the Israeli government to separate the Israeli and Palestinian people of the West Bank. When completed, the barrier that runs mainly along the West Bank will be about 760 km long. The Security Wall is an 8 m tall concrete fenced with vehicle-barrier trenches. Constructed to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, the wall created a stir between the two peoples. In terms of saving lives, the wall lives up to its billing. Data showed that 457 Israelis were killed in 2002, the year before the wall was built; but the number of Israeli murdered went down to 8 lives in 2009.
The Green Line
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The 187 kilometers long Green Line is the cease fire line established in 1963 during the Greek -Turkish conflict on Cyprus. It runs along the Pedeios River and cutting through the capital of Nicosia, in the process making Nicosia into a border town. Going deeper into the city proper, the Green Line is predominantly built of big, colored oil barrels. Anyone can walk along the line, look over to the other side and see dozens of shattered bunkers.
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