Torre del Oro

Torre del Oro
The Torre del Oro, view from the north.
Map
General information
TypeWatchtower
LocationSeville, Spain
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated3 June 1931
Reference no.RI-51-0000887

The Torre del Oro (Arabic: بُرْج الذَّهَب, romanizedburj aḏẖ-ḏẖahab, lit.'Tower of Gold') is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain. It was erected by the Almohad Caliphate in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river.

Constructed in the first third of the 13th century,[1] the tower served as a prison during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the golden shine it projected on the river, due to its building materials (a mixture of mortar, lime and pressed hay).

  1. ^ "Patrimonio Inmueble de Andalucía". Instituto andaluz del patrimonio Historico (in Spanish). Retrieved April 7, 2023.