Torre de San Martín facts for kids
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The Torre de San Martín (which means St. Martin's Tower in English) is a really old and beautiful building in Teruel, a city in northern Spain. It was built a long, long time ago, in 1316, using a special Spanish-Islamic art style called Mudéjar style. Because it's so unique and important, it was added to the UNESCO Heritage List in 1986. This means it's recognized as a special place that should be protected for everyone to enjoy!
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About the St. Martin's Tower
The tower was built between 1315 and 1316. It's not just a tower; it's also a gate-tower. This means a road actually passes right through an arch at its bottom! The tower is named after the church next to it, the Church of St. Martin, which was built much later during the Baroque period.
What is Mudéjar Style?
The St. Martin's Tower is a great example of Mudéjar style. This is a special type of art and building design found in Spain. It mixes Christian and Islamic ideas from the time when Muslims and Christians lived together in Spain. Mudéjar buildings often use materials like brick and are decorated with beautiful patterns made from ceramic glaze tiles. The St. Martin's Tower is famous for its colorful ceramic decorations.
History of the Tower
Even though the tower was built in the early 1300s, it has been looked after over the centuries. In 1550, the lower part of the tower needed some repairs. This was because water and weather had caused some damage. Luckily, it was fixed, and that's why we can still see it standing strong today!
Tower Design and Features
The design of the St. Martin's Tower is very clever. It's built like the old minarets (towers where people are called to prayer) from the Almohad period. It has two square towers, one inside the other. The space between these two towers holds the stairs that go up. The inner tower has three floors, and each floor has a special arched ceiling called a cross vault. This design makes the tower strong and beautiful.
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