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The Tower of London was founded by William the Conqueror in 1078. The Tower was built to impress and subdue Londoners as well as to deter possible invaders.
From its earliest structural beginnings, the Great Tower or White Tower was fast becoming the most talked-about building in England.
However, the Tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two parallel rings of defensive walls and a moat.
It has served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a zoo , a mint ... and now it is an iconic symbol of London and one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions.
The Crown Jewels have been kept at the Tower of London since 1303 after they were stolen from Westminster Abbey. The enormous Cullinan I and the notorious Koh-i-Noor are part of the collection that numbers 23,578 in total.
The Koh-i-Noor is a 108 carat diamond. "Koh-i-noor" is Persian and means "Mountain of Light".
The Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106 carats (621.2 g). It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.
Opening times:
Tuesday - Saturday 09:00 - 18:00
Sunday - Monday 10:00 - 18:00
Last admission 17:00
