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The Tower of Hercules

The Tower of Hercules is one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world today. It was built by the Romans nearly two thousand years ago. The lighthouse was named after the hero Hercules from Greek mythology. Just as a hero protects people, the lighthouse was built to keep people safe. The lighthouse has done this in different ways over the years.

When the lighthouse was first built, it protected passing ships. The Tower of Hercules sits on the northern coast of Spain. The coast was dangerous since it had so many rocks. The lighthouse would shine its light into the nearby water, helping the Roman ships steer away from the rocks.

Between 800 and 1200, the Tower of Hercules was not used as a lighthouse. It was used as a castle instead. The tower provided safety for soldiers in the area. It also allowed the soldiers to see armies and navies that were approaching. This helped the soldiers protect people in nearby lands from attacks.

It wasn’t until the late 1700s that the tower became a lighthouse again. The Duke of Uceda ordered the tower to be restored. The tower had been badly damaged over time, and the duke wanted the damage to be fixed. Under his order, a new staircase was built inside the tower. The staircase allowed people to once again reach the top of the tower. Two new lights were placed in the top of the tower to light the way for ships. In the early 1900s, the lights were replaced with electric ones. These lights still shine in the tower today.