Tower of London

Tower of London
/tow"euhr/
a historic fortress in London, England: originally a royal palace, later a prison, now an arsenal and museum.

* * *

Royal fortress on the northern bank of the River Thames.

The central keep, or donjon, known as the White Tower because of its limestone, was begun с 1078 by William I the Conqueror inside the Roman city wall. In the 12th–13th century the fortifications were extended beyond the wall, the White Tower becoming the nucleus of a series of concentric defenses. The only entrance from the land is at the southwestern corner; when the river was still a major highway, the 13th-century water gate was much used. Its nickname, Traitors' Gate, derives from the prisoners brought through it to the Tower, long used as a state prison; many were murdered or executed there.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tower of London —    Situated at the eastern extremity of the City of London on the north bank of the Thames on Tower Hill (S. 45, and Bayley, ed. 1821, I. p. 1), on the confines of Middlesex and Essex, 1315 (Cal. P.R. 1313 17, p.314).    The most celebrated… …   Dictionary of London

  • Tower of London — Tower Tow er, n. [OE. tour,tor,tur, F. tour, L. turris; akin to Gr. ?; cf. W. twr a tower, Ir. tor a castle, Gael. torr a tower, castle. Cf. {Tor}, {Turret}.] 1. (Arch.) (a) A mass of building standing alone and insulated, usually higher than its …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tower of London —   [ taʊə əv lʌndən], Zitadelle im Osten der Altstadt von London am nördlichen Themseufer oberhalb der 1886 94 erbauten Tower Bridge, das älteste Bauwerk Londons, von Wilhelm dem Eroberer 1077 angelegt, seitdem mehrfach erweitert (UNESCO… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Tower of London — Tower of Lon|don the Tower of London also the Tower a ↑fortress (=protected group of buildings including a castle) in London next to the River Thames, built in the 11th century but originally built in Roman times. The kings and queens of England… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Tower of London — n. a fortress made up of several buildings on the Thames in London, serving in historic times as a palace, prison, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Tower of London — For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°4′34″W / 51.50806°N 0.07611°W / 51 …   Wikipedia

  • Tower von London — Der White Tower, der Grundstein der gesamten Festung Modell des Towers …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tower of London — Der White Tower, der Kern der gesamten Festung Modell des Tower …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tower of London —    Although also a fortress, armory, and royal residence, the Tower of London was the principal English state prison, and as such it was the place of imprisonment and execution for many prominent figures during the WARS OF THE ROSES.    In 1077,… …   Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses

  • Tower of London (disambiguation) — Tower of London most commonly refers to the Tower of London, a former Royal residence.You may be looking for: * Tower of London (1939 film) and Tower of London (1962 film) , two films with the same name. *Towers of London, a punk band. *Tower of… …   Wikipedia

  • Tower Hill (London Underground) — Eingang zur Station Tower Hill, im Hintergrund der Tower of London …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”