Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower or Leander's Tower)
One of the most iconic images of Istanbul surely has to be the Kız Kulesi Üsküdar, known in English as Maiden’s Tower, Tower of Leandros, Leander’s Tower or Bosphorus Tower. It is found on a small natural islet in the Bosphorus, just off the shore of Asian Istanbul.
What is the history of Maiden’s Tower Istanbul?
The first tower here was built by an Athenian commander during the 5th century as a way of controlling ships passing the Bosphorus, and collecting taxes, a function that continued into Byzantine times, when a chain was stretched from it to the historic peninsula. In Ottoman times, it started to be used as a lighthouse.
Kız Kulesi Legends
There are several myths and legends associated with the tower. The Leander’s Tower legend or The Lovers of Maiden’s Tower tells of two starcrossed lover; a priestess of Aphrodite named Hero, and a young man named Leander. They fell in love and each night, Leander would swim from the mainland to the island to see Hero, who would light a fire in the top of the tower to guide his way. One treacherous night, the wind blew out her light, so Leander lost his way and drowned. When his body washed to the tower, Hero decided she couldn’t be apart, and took her own life to be with him.
Another myth tells of a Byzantine Princess, whom an oracle had foretold would be bitten by a serpent and die before she turned 18. Terrified, the Emperor (her doting father) sent her to the tower to protect her until she turned 18. Celebrating this birthday, her father visited her bearing a basket of fruit, but unbeknownst to him, a serpent lay concealed within and bit her, causing the tragic prophecy to come true.
Maiden’s Tower in Popular Culture
Not only do Maiden’s Tower photos make it into every Istanbul marketing campaign, but the mystical setting means that it has also featured in other modern tales – first as an important location in the 1999 James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough, and later in the video game, Assasin’s Creed: Revelations. In the latter, the Assasin, Niccolo Polo, builds an intricate structure beneath the tower to conceal a Masyaf key.
Maiden’s Tower café
An upmarket restaurant on the islet, serves up traditional Turkish and international foods. The Kız Kulesi restaurant prices aren’t cheap, but you’re paying for the special location and view. There is also a museum that’s free to enter.
The first attempt t build a tram line in İstanbul that could be determined was the efforts of Rüstem bey, a Meclis-i Maabir member. Rüstem bey stated in a letter dated april 14, 1868, that the invented a single track transportation syste, which is called tram, and it could carry passenger and goods for a reasonable price and request concession.
Even Rüstem bey was given a concession; the single track system was not implemented.
The Bosphorus Bridge is one of two bridges that spans the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. It stretches from Ortakoy on the European side to Beylerbeyi on the Asian side and is sometimes referred to as the First Bosphorus Bridge.
At 1560 meters long, the Bosphorus Bridge was the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1973 and was the first bridge to connect Europe and Asia since a bridge spanning the Dardanelles in 480 B.C. Today, it is the 21st longest suspension bridge in the world. In 2007, an LED lighting system was installed to illuminate the bridge at night and the computerized system is now used to create a colorful light show every evening.
While the bridge is typically closed to pedestrians, it opens each October for the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon – the only marathon that crosses from one continent to another.
The Galata Tower, Galata Kulesi in Turkish, is one of the highest and oldest towers of Istanbul. 63 meter (206 feet) high tower provides a panoramic view of the old town. It was built in the 14th century by the Genoese colony as part of the defense wall surrounding their district at Galata directly opposite ancient Constantinopolis. They called the tower as "Christea Turris", or "Tower of Christ". The Genoese were involved in trade with the Byzantines and the tower was used for the surveillance of the Harbor in the Golden Horn. After the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet II, it served to detect fires in the city.
Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi was the first flying Turk during the Ottoman Empire of the 17th century. He copied bird wings and studied air flows, than jumping from the Galata Tower he overflew the Bosphorus and landed at Uskudar district on the Asian side, around 6 kilometers (4 miles) in distance.
After the Republic, Galata Tower was restored and opened to the public in 1967. The tower houses a cafeteria on top, there was also a night club which is closed down after the last restoration in 2013. A couple of elevators will take you up but there are still three more floors to climb by stairs to get on the panoramic terrace which is 52 meters above the ground. A small souvenir shop is located inside the tower just across the ticket office at the entrance level.
Galata Kulesi (Tower)
Büyük Hendek Caddesi, Galata
Phone: +90 212 293 81 80
Fax: +90 212 245 21 33
Open daily from early morning until late afternoon
Admission: 25 TL
