Walls of Tallinn (Tallinn City Wall)
Native name
Estonian: Tallinna linnamüür
Tallinn City Wall
LocationTallinn, Estonia
Founded13th century
Built forDefense for the City of Tallinn
Architectural style(s)Medieval city wall
Official nameHistoric Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv
Designated1997 (21st session)
Reference no.822
Europe and North America
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/822

The Walls of Tallinn are the medieval defensive walls constructed around the city of Tallinn in Estonia.

History

The first wall around Tallinn was ordered to be constructed by Margaret Sambiria in 1265 resulting in its name, the 'Margaret Wall.' This wall was less than 5 metres (16 ft) tall and about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick at its base.[1] Since that time it has been enlarged and strengthened. The walls and the many gates are still largely extant today. This is one of the reasons that Tallinn's old town became a World Heritage Site. The walls were enlarged in the fourteenth century, and citizens of Tallinn were required to turn out for guard duty, which meant to wear their armour and demonstrate their readiness to face invaders.[2]

Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: KML GPX (all coordinates) GPX (primary coordinates) GPX (secondary coordinates)

Objects in the city wall

Name Image Notes Location Coordinates
Long Leg Gate Tower
(Pika jala väravatorn)		 Pikk jalg 59°26′15.87″N 24°44′34.33″E / 59.4377417°N 24.7428694°E / 59.4377417; 24.7428694 (Pika jala väravatorn)
Tower behind Almshouse
(Seegitagune torn)		 demolished in the 19th century Nunne 3
Tower behind Sauna
(Saunatagune torn)		 partially extant Nunne 9 / Nunne 11A
Nun's Gate
(Nunnavärav)		 Demolished in 1868. Nunne
Nun's Tower
(Nunnatorn)		 Väike-Kloostri 1 59°26′21.41″N 24°44′32.55″E / 59.4392806°N 24.7423750°E / 59.4392806; 24.7423750 (Nunnatorn)
Monastery Gate
(Kloostrivärav)		 end of 19th century Suur-Kloostri 59°26′22.01″N 24°44′32.51″E / 59.4394472°N 24.7423639°E / 59.4394472; 24.7423639 (Kloostrivärav)
Sauna Tower
(Saunatorn)		 Suur-Kloostri 18 59°26′22.63″N 24°44′32.49″E / 59.4396194°N 24.7423583°E / 59.4396194; 24.7423583 (Saunatorn)
Golden Leg Tower
(Kuldjala torn)		 Gümnaasiumi 1A 59°26′24.11″N 24°44′33.25″E / 59.4400306°N 24.7425694°E / 59.4400306; 24.7425694 (Kuldjala torn)
Tower behind Nuns
(Nunnadetagune torn)		 Kooli 1 59°26′25.39″N 24°44′34.27″E / 59.4403861°N 24.7428528°E / 59.4403861; 24.7428528 (Nunnadetagune torn)
Loewenschede Tower
(Loewenschede torn)		 Kooli 7 59°26′26.18″N 24°44′35.99″E / 59.4406056°N 24.7433306°E / 59.4406056; 24.7433306 (Loewenschede torn)
Lippe Tower
(Lippe torn)		 destroyed Kooli 9
passage beside Lippe Tower Built 1933 Laboratooriumi 21 59°26′26.5″N 24°44′38.85″E / 59.440694°N 24.7441250°E / 59.440694; 24.7441250 (passage)
Rope Hill Tower
(Köismäe torn)		 Laboratooriumi 27 59°26′27.4″N 24°44′41.67″E / 59.440944°N 24.7449083°E / 59.440944; 24.7449083 (Köismäe torn)
breakthrough of Suurtüki street 19th century Suurtüki 59°26′28.24″N 24°44′43.48″E / 59.4411778°N 24.7454111°E / 59.4411778; 24.7454111 (breakthrough)
Plate Tower
(Plate torn)		 Laboratooriumi 29 59°26′28.63″N 24°44′43.98″E / 59.4412861°N 24.7455500°E / 59.4412861; 24.7455500 (Plate torn)
Epping Tower
(Eppingi torn)		 Laboratooriumi 31 59°26′29.82″N 24°44′46.2″E / 59.4416167°N 24.746167°E / 59.4416167; 24.746167 (Eppingi torn)
Tower behind Grusbeke
(Grusbeke-tagune torn)		 Laboratooriumi 33 59°26′31.22″N 24°44′48.62″E / 59.4420056°N 24.7468389°E / 59.4420056; 24.7468389 (Grusbeke-tagune torn)
Renten Tower
(Renteni torn)		 lower part extant inside a later building Lai 49
Tower behind Wulfard
(Wulfardi-tagune torn)		 lower part extant Tolli 4 59°26′32.3″N 24°44′53.97″E / 59.442306°N 24.7483250°E / 59.442306; 24.7483250 (Wulfgardi-tagune torn)}
Great Coastal Gate
(Suur Rannavärav)		 Pikk 70 59°26′33.23″N 24°44′57.44″E / 59.4425639°N 24.7492889°E / 59.4425639; 24.7492889 (Suur Rannavärav)
Fat Margaret
(Paks Margareeta)		 Pikk 70 59°26′33.3″N 24°44′58.72″E / 59.442583°N 24.7496444°E / 59.442583; 24.7496444 (Paks Margareeta)
Stolting Tower
(Stoltingi torn)		 Pikk 68 59°26′31.78″N 24°44′58.62″E / 59.4421611°N 24.7496167°E / 59.4421611; 24.7496167 (Stoltingi torn)
Tower behind Hattorpe
(Hattorpe-tagune torn)		 Pikk 62 59°26′29.5″N 24°44′57.6″E / 59.441528°N 24.749333°E / 59.441528; 24.749333 (Hattorpe-tagune torn)
tower near the former Russian church destroyed Sulevimägi
Small Coastal Gate
(Väike Rannavärav)		 destroyed
Bremen Tower
(Bremeni torn)		 Vene 28 59°26′21.86″N 24°44′57″E / 59.4394056°N 24.74917°E / 59.4394056; 24.74917 (Bremeni torn)
Bremen Passage
(Bremeni käik)		 19th century Bremeni käik 59°26′21.54″N 24°44′57.15″E / 59.4393167°N 24.7492083°E / 59.4393167; 24.7492083 (Bremeni käik)
Tower behind Monks
(Munkadetagune torn)		 Müürivahe 58 59°26′18.46″N 24°44′58.89″E / 59.4384611°N 24.7496917°E / 59.4384611; 24.7496917 (Munkadetagune torn)
Helleman Tower
(Hellemani torn)		 Müürivahe 48 59°26′15.15″N 24°44′59.82″E / 59.4375417°N 24.7499500°E / 59.4375417; 24.7499500 (Hellemanni torn)
Viru Gate
(Viru värav)		 Viru 59°26′11.87″N 24°45′1.31″E / 59.4366306°N 24.7503639°E / 59.4366306; 24.7503639 (Viru värav)
Hinke Tower
(Hinke torn)		 Pärnu mnt 2 / Müürivahe 32 59°26′9.55″N 24°44′57.98″E / 59.4359861°N 24.7494389°E / 59.4359861; 24.7494389 (Hinke torn)
Düvelsmoder Tower / Devil's Mother's Tower
(Düvelsmoderi torn / Kuradiema torn)		 demolished in 1882 Väike-Karja/Müürivahe
Lurenburg Artillery Tower
(Lurenburgi suurtükitorn)		 Built 1538–1554, demolished in 1767 during the expansion of the bastion systems. Pärnu mnt 7
Cattle Gate
(Karjavärav)		 Built 1456, demolished in 1849 to widen the streets. Was used to transport cattle between the city and pastures.
Assauwe Tower
(Assauwe torn)		 Müürivahe 12 59°26′5.61″N 24°44′43.33″E / 59.4348917°N 24.7453694°E / 59.4348917; 24.7453694 (Assauwe torn)
Harju Gate
(Harju värav)
The main gate after the demolition of the front gates.		 Mentioned in 1361, 1448–1453 the second front gate was built. In 1862 the front gates were demolished and in 1875 the main gate. Harju 59°26′4.74″N 24°44′37.53″E / 59.4346500°N 24.7437583°E / 59.4346500; 24.7437583 (Harju värav)
Goat Tower
(Kitsetorn)		 Rüütli
Kiek in de Kök Komandandi tee 2 59°26′5.14″N 24°44′29″E / 59.4347611°N 24.74139°E / 59.4347611; 24.74139 (Kiek in de Kök)
Maiden's Tower
(Neitsitorn)		 Lossi plats 11 / Lühike jalg 9A 59°26′6.8″N 24°44′27.51″E / 59.435222°N 24.7409750°E / 59.435222; 24.7409750 (Neitsitorn)
Stable Tower
(Tallitorn)		 Lossi plats 11 / Lühike jalg 9A 59°26′8.43″N 24°44′26.91″E / 59.4356750°N 24.7408083°E / 59.4356750; 24.7408083 (Tallitorn)
breakthrough from Toompea to Danish King's Garden Lühike jalg 59°26′8.9″N 24°44′27.14″E / 59.435806°N 24.7408722°E / 59.435806; 24.7408722 (breakthrough)
Short Leg Gate Tower
(Lühikese jala väravatorn)		 Lühike jalg 9 59°26′10.01″N 24°44′28.15″E / 59.4361139°N 24.7411528°E / 59.4361139; 24.7411528 (Lühikese jala väravatorn)
Dome Gate
(Toomvärav)		 demolished in 1860.

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to City walls of Tallinn.
  1. ^ Andriy Ksenofontov, = Wall Street ... Estonian Times, 15 August 2002
  2. ^ Bousfield, Jonathon (2011). The Rough Guide to Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania p.71. p. 392. ISBN 9781848368880.
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