Tower of Eben-Ezer – Bassenge, Belgium - Atlas Obscura

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Tower of Eben-Ezer

A Belgian self-built tower inspired by the Bible and ancient civilizations. 

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The Tower of Eben-Ezer is a self-built castle constructed in the 1960s by a single man in the isolated Jeker valley of Belgium. The builder, Robert Garcet, was fascinated with the Bible, numerology, and ancient civilizations.

The entire seven-level tower is built of flint, and according to Garcet, was designed using ancient mystical measurements. On the top of the tower are four giant biblical animals, and the interior is full of Garcet’s biblical, archaeological, paleontological, and geological art.

Even more curious is that although the tower only looks ancient, it sits on top of a vast network of truly ancient tunnels. Garcet claims to have discovered over a hundred “new” fossilized creatures and a 70 million-year-old village in the labyrinth of tunnels under the tower! Unfortunately, the village was destroyed by a mining explosion before it could be studied.

A new educational space called the Le MusĂ©e du Silex (Museum of Flint) takes the visitor on a tour of the history and use of the flint stone. Individual admission allows entrance to several levels of the tower and gardens, and a xeroxed informational guide, available in French, Dutch, and English.

 

 

Know Before You Go

 Payment for the museum can only be taken by Contactless (NFC) payments. No card chips, swipes, or cash can be used for payment. 

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