Tor

Tor is an ancient watchtower on a hill above the small town of Jelsa on the island of Hvar, Croatia. It stands roughly 230-235 metres above sea level and ranks among the oldest monuments in this part of Dalmatia.

What is Tor?

Tor is a square structure of dry-stone masonry, with no mortar between the stones. It was built from large cyclopean blocks and rises on the remains of an even earlier prehistoric structure. A bastion beside it is older than the tower itself.

How old is it?

Sources date the tower to the 4th or 3rd century BC. Scholars disagree about who built it: Greek settlers from the Pharos colony (today's Stari Grad) or the Illyrians who lived on the island before them. Its origin remains a subject of academic debate.

A 2023 description by Miroslav Katic presents the site as a square Greek tower leaning against a prehistoric burial mound, within a fortification complex from the mid-to-late 4th century BC. In 2022, Branko Kirigin reviewed in the journal "Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku" how the site has been interpreted in publications over five centuries.

Who first described Tor?

The British traveller Richard Francis Burton described and sketched the walls in 1873. He is credited as the first to document them this way.

How do you get to Tor?

The tower sits above Jelsa, so reaching it means a climb up the hill. Guides recommend the route via the medieval ruins of Galesnik, which makes the walk more pleasant and adds another monument along the way.

What can you see from the top?

The views are the main reward. From Tor you can see Stari Grad, the island of Brac and the mainland. That wide outlook over land and sea is the same quality that made the hill valuable in antiquity.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Tor? It is dated to the 4th or 3rd century BC.

Who built Tor? This is not certain. Greeks from Pharos or earlier Illyrians are the candidates.

Where is Tor? On a hill above Jelsa on Hvar, about 230-235 m above sea level.

Is Tor a castle? Databases sometimes list it as a castle ruin, but researchers describe it as a Greek watchtower with a fortification complex.

Is the route via Galesnik worth it? Yes, guides recommend it as the nicer approach.