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Culture
Es Castellar Tower
Es Castellar Tower stands on a rocky peninsula to the south of Son Blanc (Ciutadella).
This defensive tower was ordered to be built by the British in 1799 during their occupation of the island as part of the series of fortifications built on the perimeter of Menorca to combat possible attackers. Es Castellar Tower, in particular, served to help San Nicolau Castle defend Ciutadella harbour.
The circular building, with a truncated cone-shaped body, is built inside a moat about 6 metres wide, surrounded by an embankment covered with rocks. Thus, only the upper part of the tower can be seen above ground level, making it look smaller from the sea than it actually is. It is built of stone and mortar and lined with Balearic sandstone (marés). It stands 8 metres high and has three storeys. The lower floor is below the level of the moat, the middle floor was used to house the garrison and the upper terrace was used to house artillery equipment. Unlike the rest of the towers on the island, the interior of this tower is accessed through an underground corridor that connects the ground floor with the counterscarp (the outer face) of the moat.