Torre de los Adalides: Difference between revisions
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==Geography== |
==Geography== |
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The ruins of the tower are located in the |
The ruins of the tower are located in the municipal limits of the Algeciras peninsula on the shores of the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]. Algeciras is now developed as a cosmopolitan city with a bridge linking the two banks of the Strait. It forms the southern border with [[European Union]]. The tower as such is in the cantonment area, within military limits and can not be approached without a formal permit.<ref name=Tower>{{Cite web|url=http://www.monumentalnet.org/andalucia/cadiz/algeciras/algeciras/torre_de_los_adalides.php|title=Torre de los Adalides / Torre de los Alaríes / Torre de los Aladides|language=Italina|accessdate=8 February2013|publisher=Monumentalnet.org}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Revision as of 17:40, 9 February 2013
| Torre de los Adalides | |
|---|---|
| Native name Torre de los Adalides (Spanish) | |
 Tower Near Algeciras | |
| Location | Algeciras, Spain |
| Built | 12th or 13th century? |
| Architectural style(s) | Islamic |
| Official name | Torre de los Adalides |
| Type | Non-movable in ruins |
| Criteria | Monument |
  Location of Torre de los Adalides in Spain | |
The Torre de los Adalides (Tower of the Champions) was a rectangular medieval tower of Islamic design located in the municipality of Algeciras, Spain. It was situated on a hill about 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level in what today is the northern suburbs of the city, roughly 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the coast.
Geography
The ruins of the tower are located in the municipal limits of the Algeciras peninsula on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. Algeciras is now developed as a cosmopolitan city with a bridge linking the two banks of the Strait. It forms the southern border with European Union. The tower as such is in the cantonment area, within military limits and can not be approached without a formal permit.[1]
History
The tower was one of a series of watchtowers built during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to monitor the Strait of Gibraltar and Algeciras Bay. Since it is an ancient tower with exact knowledge about its construction and as its design is said to be of Islamic origin, it may be mentioned that Arabs used to ply their ships to this peninsula even in 711.[1] Though, first mentioned in 1342,[2] the exact date of construction is unknown, although presumably it must have occurred shortly before the capture of the town of Tarifa in 1289 when the Campo de Gibraltar region began to assume importance as a land border. The tower had visual contact with other watchtowers in the region including the Torre de Botafuegos and Torre del Almirante as well as with the towns of Al-Yazira Al-Jadra (today's Algeciras) and Carteia. It was the base for the forces of Alfonso XI of Castile during the long Siege of Algeciras in 1340. The Muslims were defeated by 1942. It takes its name from the troops based in the area who were known as the "adalides" or the champions. The king used the tower as his home duriung the siege of the town. In 1344, these troops were involved in the Battle of Río Palmones against Granada, which marked the end of the siege and the surrender of the city of Algeciras.[3]
In 1776, the tower was being used as a powder store, protected by a small guard. By 1832, it had fallen into disrepair and was no longer in use. It was finally destroyed by army engineers in July 1898 during the Spanish–American War as there were fears it might be used by the enemy as a landmark for bombarding a nearby battery or as a base for setting up a provisional battery of their own. Today the tower's foundations are located in the courtyard of the barracks of the same name.[2]
Architecture
Little remains of the structure today, but plenty of historical data and photographs provide an insight into the structure and proportions. The tower had three floors, the first of them separated from the rest and that was accessed by a door at ground level, the second floor had a ladder attached to the wall outside. and the third was reached by interior stairs. It had a height of 14 metres and was rectangular (4 by 6 metres), with walls 1.5 metres thick.[4] The tower was surrounded by an octagonal mud wall, 80 inches thick and 3.5 to 4.5 metres high.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Torre de los Adalides / Torre de los Alaríes / Torre de los Aladides" (in Italina). Monumentalnet.org. Retrieved 8 February2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b Antonio Gil Albarracín, "Torre de los Adalides" in "Destrucción y reconstrucción del dispositivo defensivo en el litoral andaluz durante la primera mitad del siglo XX". Template:Es icon Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ a b "La Torre de los Adalides", Sur.es, 5 December 2011. Template:Es icon Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Cara, Lorenzo; Barrionuevo, Lorenzo Cara (2000). Ciudad y territorio en Al-Andalus (in Spanish). Athos-Pérgamos. p. 250. ISBN 978-84-95443-02-1. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
