Tower facts for kids

A tower is a very tall structure. Unlike regular buildings where people live or work, towers are usually built for special purposes. Many old castles have towers, and today, towers can be incredibly tall. They are used for many things, like sending radio signals, watching over areas, or even holding up parts of bridges.

What Are Towers Used For?

Towers have been important for a long time. In the past, they were often part of castles or city walls. They helped people see far away and defend against enemies.

Different Kinds of Towers

Today, towers have many different jobs.

• Communication Towers: These towers, like the one for radio and TV signals, help us talk to each other and watch shows. They send signals over long distances.
• Observation Towers: Some towers are built so people can get a great view. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a famous example. You can go to the top and see the whole city!
• Water Towers: These towers hold large tanks of water high above the ground. This uses gravity to create good water pressure for homes and businesses.
• Bridge Towers: For very long bridges, especially suspension bridges, tall towers are needed to hold up the main cables. These cables then support the bridge deck.
• Wind Turbine Towers: The tall poles that hold up the blades of a wind turbine are also towers. They lift the blades high into the air to catch more wind and make electricity.
• Historic Towers: Many old towers are still standing, like those on Cathedrals, churches, or mosques (where they are called minarets). These towers often have bells or are used for religious calls.

Towers and Skyscrapers

Sometimes, very tall skyscrapers are also called towers, like the Millennium Tower in Vienna. While people live and work in skyscrapers, they share the tall, slender shape of other towers. The Tokyo Skytree is one of the tallest towers in the world, used for broadcasting and observation.

Images for kids

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  The Eiffel Tower is a landmark of Paris.

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  Cathedrals often have towers, this one is in Cadiz

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  A church with a well-visible tower.

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  A pagoda in Guangzhou

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  Skyscrapers are often called towers. This one is in Vienna

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  A tower used for radio and video transmissions

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  The tower on a mosque is called a minaret. This one is in Iran

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  Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in the world

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  Roman tower (reconstruction) at Limes – Taunus / Germany

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  Eiffel Tower in Paris

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  The Galata Tower, also called Christea Turris (the Tower of Christ in Latin), was built in 1348 A.D. by the Genoese colony in Constantinople.

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  Typical modern water tower in Carmel, Indiana, United States

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  Watchtower in the Israeli West Bank barrier

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  The only bridge being a member of the World Federation of Great Towers: Most SNP, Bratislava, Slovakia

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  Towers form Ingushetia

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  Lifeguard tower, Asprovalta (Greece)

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  The towers of wind turbines support the rotors.

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  White Tower (Brixen)-Italy built in 1591

See also

In Spanish: Torre para niños