Trier was founded in the 16th century BC by the Romans, who named the city 'Augusta Treverorum', which means 'the city of August in the city Treveri'. It is the oldest city in Germany, the long history of which can be learned by the numerous Roman, medieval and Renaissance architectural monuments (eight of them are in the UNESCO World Heritage list).
The Porta Nigra. Usually sightseeing of Trier starts with the main of the sights – the Porta Nigra, which in Latin means 'the black gates'. The Porta NIgra is the northern gates that were built in 180 AD and served as a part of the city wall. The wall is 6,5 km long, 3 m thick and 7,5 m tall. Their name the gates got later, when the sandstone, which used the Romans used, became black by age. Since 1028 in the Porta Nigra was secluding hermit Simeon, the trustee of archbishop of Trier Poppo. Monk's cloister was situated at the ground floor of the eastern tower. It had no windows and the entrance was walled up by the order of Simeon. Soon after the death the hermit was canonized and the Porta Nigra was rebuilt into St Simeon's Church. That's why, actually, the gates managed to remain untouched.
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