The Galata Tower is a fourteenth century Genoese fortification in Istanbul, old Byzantium, that dominates the skyline. Damaged and restored many times it is now a restaurant and observation deck.
Visiting The Galata Tower
The tower is easy to visit, about 500m walk from the Bosporus ferry terminal or about the same from the nearest tram stop. It is open most of the day and there is a small entrance fee to take the lift to the seventh level and then you have to walk up the last two levels.
My Experience
Of course, getting the ferry or tram would be far too simple for us! We had visited Istanbul with our friend Zeynep, as detailed on my travel blog here, so after walking through the old city we continued across the Galata Bridge and up to the Galata Tower with barely time for a coffee on the way!
We had a nice dinner on the roof terrace (outdoors in November!) enjoying the commanding views of the tower. Even 700 years later it is still a dominating feature of the city. This visit was 2012 and when the covid restrictions have finished, Istanbul is high on our list to revisit.
The Galata Tower Photo Gallery
History
Although it’s not known when the Galata Tower was exactly built, it is commonly agreed that the tower took life during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian around 507 CE. Back then, the tower was known as the ‘Christea Turris,’ or the Tower of Christ, by the Genoese, while the Byzantines referred to it as the ‘Megalos Pyrgos,’ or the Great Tower. But it was during the Genoese period the tower took on its current shape, when the Galata neighborhood was inhabited by the colonies of the Republic of Genoa, which served as a series of economic and trade posts in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
In 1509, the tower was heavily damaged due to an earthquake but was restored by the famous Ottoman architect, Hayreddin, who also built the renowned Sultan Bayezid II complex in Edirne. During the reign of Ottoman Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent, the tower had a very different purpose, as it was used to hold prisoners who were sentenced to work at the Kasımpaşa Naval Dockyard. By the end of the 16th century, an observatory was added at the very top by the astrologer, Takiyüddin Efendi, but the tower was destined to become a prison once more during the reign of Sultan Murat III between 1546 and 1595.
When the 17th century rolled around, the tower was briefly used by the Mehter Band, an Ottoman military band, and then became a fire observatory in 1717 because of its excellent bird’s-eye view of the historic city. In 1794, a fire destroyed the tower, but it was restored during the reign of Sultan Selim III, at which point a cumba (alcove) was added. Following the destructive effects of another fire in 1831, the tower was once more restored, along with the addition of two more floors and a conical-shaped tip, through the commission of Sultan Mahmut. Nowadays, the 219ft (66.90 meters) high tower serves as a touristic attraction only, with visitors standing in line to head to the top for a spectacular 360-degree view of Istanbul from the balcony. Luckily, an elevator takes visitors up seven floors, but the last two floors are only accessible by climbing the stairs.
As for some interesting tales about the Galata Tower, one of the most well-known stories revolves around the legendary Ottoman aviator Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi. According to an account written by Evliya Çelebi, an explorer who recorded his observations in a famous Seyahâtnâme travelogue, Hezârfen Çelebi flew from the top of the tower to Doğancılar Square in Üsküdar with wings attached to his arms. Due to this spectacular feat, Sultan Murad Khan allegedly grew suspicious of the man and sent him to exile in Algeria.
References
The history above is copied from the culturetrip site here.
Information on the Tower’s opening hours is on the museum site here.
Wiki has a good summary of the tower here.