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| The Torre del Oro. |
The Torre del Oro (Golden Tower), which dominates
the banks of the river Guadalquivir, is a remnant of the
Moorish fortified walls which originally
enclosed the city. A watchtower designed to protect the docks, it
dates from 1220; the 12-sided lower part was built in stone by the
Almohades and was originally decorated with golden tiles, while
the upper brick mini-tower was added in the 18th century.
Inside is a naval museum with flags, maps, scale
models of ships and other maritime memorabilia, as well as portraits
of illustrious naval figures and documents related to overseas discoveries.
Most interesting are the prints of Seville in the late 16th century,
with Arenal in its original sandy state (arena means sand), Triana
with its castle and the docks bustling with ships. During the invasion
of the Americas, it was used to house gold plundered from the natives.
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