The Tower of London

The Tower of London – a fortress standing on the north bank of the Thames – the historic center of London, one of the oldest buildings in England and one of the main symbols of Britain, occupying a special place in the history of the English nation. As the Duke of Edinburgh wrote in his book dedicated to the 900th anniversary of the Tower, “in its history, the Tower of London was a fortress, a palace, a repository of royal treasures, an arsenal, a mint, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, a place attracting tourists.” The foundation of the Tower of Fortress is attributed to Wilhelm I. After the Norman conquest of England, William I began to build defensive castles to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxons.