Belém Tower

Belém Tower is a classic landmark building in the port of Portugal and a symbol of Lisbon. It has witnessed the voyages and departures, return and reunions of countless ships in Portugal in the era of great sailing. In 1983, the Belém Tower was officially rated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO, and in 2007 it was named one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. This fortification was ordered by Manuel I between 1514-1520 to commemorate Da Gama's arrival in India, and was later used as a customs house, a telegraph station, and even a lighthouse. The overall building of the Belém Tower is arranged in an "L" shape with five floors. The entire tower is made of white marble. It is a typical Manuel style building: the tower is surrounded by stone ropes, dotted with stone knots, Stone carvings of crosses and some flora and fauna. Among them, the stone rhinoceros at the base is quite eye-catching, built to demonstrate the achievements of Portuguese navigators in exploring overseas. When the sun goes down, the Belém Tower has a unique charm. It is also a pleasant enjoyment to take a walk in the harbor and blow the sea breeze. The barrier crossed the drawbridge, and the main entrance through which came to the Belem Tower barrier. There are a total of 16 artillery positions on the wall for placing cannons to defend against the enemy. In the center of the roof was a Gothic rectangular skylight, which was used as a vent for the ramparts, so that the smoke from the cannon fire could quickly dissipate. There are a number of storage rooms under the floor of the rampart, a large one can be reached from the stairs on the north side. Platform A steep staircase to the right of the main entrance to the Tower of Belém leads to a platform at the top of the rampart, which is polygonal in shape and has a sentry box at each corner with lookout windows and a pepper-box roof. In the center of the platform is a ring of balustrades surrounding the patio below, and on the south side of the balustrade is a statue of Our Lady of Victory. On the rampart platform, you can admire the south façade of the Tower of Belém up close. The balconies and railings are decorated with stone carvings, which are very beautiful. Among them, the stone carvings of the shield of King Manuel I are particularly eye-catching, and the top of the shield is decorated with flowers and plants. The stone carvings are embellished, lifelike. At the top of the tower, go up the stairs on the right side of the platform, and you can enter the interior of the tower of Belém. Follow the spiral staircase to the top platform of the tower, and you can see the beautiful scenery of the port of Lisbon: the Tagus River, the Geronimoche Monastery, the nautical monument, the big Jesus statue on the opposite bank, the April 25 Bridge, etc. From the bottom of the eye, the sailboats drifting by the sea from time to time are also a beautiful scenery. Belem tower top platform is very windy, please pay attention to wind protection and warmth.