Belem1: Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Belém, Lisbon,

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) celebrates the Portuguese who took part in the Age of Exploration during the 15th and 16th Centuries. It is located on the Tagus river where the ships departed on thier voyages of discovery.

Belem2: Colourful Street, Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

Colourful street close to the Av. de Brasilia in the town of Belém Portugal. Belém is located 6km west of the city of Lisbon and its name is derived from the Portuguese for Bethleham.

Belem3: Jeronimos Monastery,Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

In 1496, King Manuel I (1495–1521) asked the pope for permission to build a great monastery in thanks to the Virgin Mary for Vasco de Gama's successful voyage to India. The request was granted and construction began on the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos on January 6, 1501 and took 50 years to complete. The project was funded by treasures from explorations in Africa, Asia, and South America, as well as a stiff tax on the Portuguese-controlled spice trade with Africa and the East.

Belem4: Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Belém, Lisbon,

Designed by Portuguese artists, architect Cottinelli Telmo and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida it was built in it's current form in 1960 after initially being built from perishable materials. The monument is constructed from a 52 metre high slab of concrete, carved into the shape of the bow of a ship. The side that faces away from the river features a carved sword stretching the full height of the monument. Designed byPortuguese artists, architect Cottinelli Telmo and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida it was built in it's current form in 1960

Belem5: Jeronimos Monastery,Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

The 1755 earthquake damaged the monastery but thankfully did not destroy it. Many restoration projects have been undertaken since then, some executed better than others. The Hieronymites occupied the monastery for 400 years until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1833, when the building became state property. It was used as a college for the Casa Pia of Lisbon (a children's charity) until around 1940.

Belem6: Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

Belem tower's most decorative side is the one facing south. Along this runs the loggia, with its finely carved limestone balustrade. Above the loggia are the shield of King Manuel I and the armillary spheres. On the wall of the small cloister built into the terrace of the bastion is an 18th century statue of the Virgin and Child, Our Lady of Safe Homecoming, crowned by a canopy

Belem7: Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

In order to enhance Lisbon’s defence, King João II drew up a plan that consisted of forming a three-fortress-defence on the Tagus’s estuary. It formed a triangle and on each angle, a fortress was constructed: Cascais's fortress on the right bank, S. Sebastião da Caparica on the left bank and Belém Tower in the water.

Belem8 Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

Belém Tower a few minutes before the sunset. The sun behind the tower creates a very interesting effect. Belém Tower ( Torre de Belém) is a fortified tower located in the Belém district of Lisbon, Portugal. The Belém Tower was built between 1515 and 1521 by military architect Francisco de Arruda both as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and as part of a defence system of the entrance of the Tagus river and the Jerónimos Monastery, which was necessary to protect Lisbon.

Belem9 Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

Built in 1515 as a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon's harbor, the Belem Tower was the starting point for many of the voyages of discovery.It is a monument to Portugal's Age of Discovery, often serving as a symbol of the country, and in 1983 UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage monument

Belem10 Jeronimos Monastery,Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

Jerónimos Monastery is an prime example of Manueline architecture, a style unique to Portugal that combines Flamboyant Gothic, Moorish, and early Renaissance influences. It is characterized by an elaborate use of sculptural detail and often includes maritime motifs

Belem11 Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

In time, with the construction of new, more modern and more effective defences, the Tower of Belém lost its role as defender of the entrance of the River Tagus.
As centuries passed, new functions were given to the tower. It was a customs control point, a telegraph station and even a lighthouse.It also served as a political prison, its storerooms transformed into dungeons, since the time when Philip II of Spain became king of Portugal (1580) and during periods of political unrest. Finally, in 1983 UNESCO classified it as a World Heritage Site.

Belem12 Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal

The tower is about 12 meters (40 feet) square and about 30 meters (100 feet) tall.The first floor is at the same level as the bulwark terrace and is called the Governor's room. The second floor is the King's room; the third, the Audience room; and the fourth.