The 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon has served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
It is often portrayed as a symbol of Europe's Age of Discoveries and as a metonym for Portugal or Lisbon, given its landmark status.
It has incorrectly been stated that the tower was built in the middle of the Tagus and now sits near the shore because the river was redirected after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In fact, the tower was built on a small island in the Tagus river near the Lisbon shore.
Belém Tower, Lisbon