Nadur Tower ( mt, Torri tan-Nadur) is a small
watchtower
A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
in Binġemma Gap, limits of
Rabat,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. It was completed in 1637 as the third of the
Lascaris towers
The Laskaris or Lascaris ( el, Λάσκαρις, later Λάσκαρης) family was a Byzantine Greek noble family whose members formed the ruling dynasty of the Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261 and remained among the senior nobility up to the d ...
. Today, the tower is in good condition.
History
Nadur Tower was built in 1637 at Binġemma Gap, close to where the British later built the
Victoria Lines
The Victoria Lines, originally known as the North West Front, are a line of fortifications that spans 12 kilometres along the width of Malta, dividing the north of the island from the more heavily populated south.
Location
The Victoria Lines ru ...
. Unlike the other Lascaris towers, it is located inland, far away from the coast. This is because it was built to serve as a 'relay' station between the newly constructed
Lippija and
Għajn Tuffieħa Towers and the walled city of
Mdina. The tower has views of the western part of
the island of Malta.
[National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands](_blank)
The tower is smaller than the other Lascaris towers, having one floor instead of two. It has a square base with two rooms. Access to the roof was by a wooden ladder, which has been replaced by iron rungs stapled to the wall.
Present Day
Today, Nadur Tower is in good condition. In September 2008, it was damaged when vandals threw burnt oil on one of its sides, but it was restored after a couple of days.
References
External links
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
Lascaris towers
Towers completed in 1637
Rabat, Malta
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
1637 establishments in Malta
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