The Tower of London History

The Tower of London,

Is a historic castle on the north bank of the Thames in London, England. The tower is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located east of the City of London in an area called Tower Hill. Its construction began in late 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gave its name to the whole castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was considered a symbol of the oppression inflicted on London by the ruling class. The castle was used as a prison from 1100, although this is not its primary role. Indeed, it was a large palace and served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings surrounded by two concentric defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly during the reign of Richard I, Henry III and Edward I in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The general plan established at the end of the thirteenth century not evolved despite subsequent activities within these walls.

The White Tower

The oldest part of the fortress is the White Tower, which was completed in 1097. This dungeon was long the tallest building in London, rising to a height of 27.4 meters. Its walls are 4.6 meters wide. The tower was whitewashed during the reign of Henry III, which gave the facade of the tower its white appearance. Since that day, it is called the White Tower. The building has four domed turrets at each corner. Three of them have a square shape, and the other is round, due to its spiral staircase. The round tower was long used as an observatory.

The Other Tours

The Tower of London was greatly enlarged in the 13th century, during the reign of Henry III, when two defensive walls were built around the White Tower. The inner rampart included thirteen towers while the outer rampart had six others. The towers were used primarily as a prison for political opponents.

Yeoman Warders

The Main Tower of London entrance is at the Byward Tower, where you can see the Yeoman Warders - halberdiers of the Royal Guard. Dressed in historical uniforms, they not only keep the tower, but also lead tours of the fortress. The Yeoman Warders of the 40 is known to Ravenmaster , and is responsible for crows live there for centuries. Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will crumble if the ravens leave. That is why King Charles II placed the bird under royal protection, and ravens wings are cut to prevent them from flying away.

The Crown Jewels

The most famous tourist attraction in the Tower of London is the collection of Crown Jewels, which is exposed to it since the 17th century, under the reign of Charles II. Most of the jewels were made around the year 1660 when the monarchy was re- established. Cromwell destroyed most of the jewels of the oldest crown.

The jewels are in the Jewel House

, which is part of the Waterloo Barracks located just north of the White Tower. Crown imperial ceremonial, Tower of London

The imperial crown

Ceremonial

Among the finest pieces in the collection include the Great Star of Africa, 530

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