Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir

The Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir is a 40-kilometre-long (25 mi) wall of stone which encircled the ancient city of Rajgriha (present-day Rajgir), in the Indian state of Bihar, to protect it from external enemies and invaders.

Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir which encircled the former capital of Magadha

Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir
General information
Town or city	Rajgir
Country	India
Estimated completion	c. 600 BCE to c. 400 BCE
Affiliation	Archeological Survey of India (ASI)

History

It was erected by the early Magadha rulers of Haryanka dynasty King Bimbisara and completed by his son and successor King Ajatasattu using massive undressed stones.

Condition

Only some portions of it remain. Most of the original structure has disappeared with time. The wall is currently designated as a national monument, and the Bihar Archaeological Department has recommended to the Archaeological Survey of India that it should be included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[1][2]

Characteristics

The wall is a type of stonework built with massive limestone boulders, roughly filled together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and no use of mortar. The boulders typically seem unworked, but some may have been shaped with a hammer.^{[original research?]}