Torre de Oro

It was the Moors that built the 12 sided, "Torre del Oro". At the start of the 1200's AD, the Almohades needed to protect the city from the river side of town and keep Christian invaders from moving up the river. So this tower was built, with a twin on the opposite bank of the river and a long chain was drawn between them. Undoubtedly, the tower was the site of many a battle during the Re-Conquest.

Exactly how the tower received its name is a little unclear. Some reports indicate, in Moorish times the tower was gilded in gold (or at least the tiles used to decorate it were). Others believe the tower's name was derived from its use during the time of Christian Monarchs, when gold from the Americas was transported off the ships and stored in the Tower.