Bel�m Tower, or Torre de Bel�m is a fortified tower located in the Bel�m district of Lisbon, Portugal.
It was built in the early 16th century in the Portuguese late Gothic style, the Manueline, to commemorate the expedition of Vasco de Gama. This defensive, yet elegant construction has become one of the symbols of the city, a memorial to the Portuguese power during the Age of the Great Discoveries. In 1983 it was classified, together with the nearby Mosteiro dos Jer�nimos, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bel�m Tower was built both as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and as part of a defence system of the entrance of the Tagus river and the Jer�nimos Monastery, which was necessary to protect Lisbon. The system was initiated by King John II (1455-1495), who built the Fortress of Cascais and the Fortress of Sao Sebastiao of Caparica. The banks of Bel�m were protected by a ship, the Grande Nau, replaced by the Tower of Bel�m during the last five years of the reign of King Manuel I.
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