The famous place of Istanbul — Galata tower

You can observe this wonderful building, situated in the European part of the city, from all corners of Istanbul.

The past

The wonderful tower of 61 meter tall and 9 meters in diameter has a great and interesting past.

According to the history, in the fifth century A.D. There has already existed a similar building. And the present tower was built in 1349 by Genoeses, who had conquered the Byzantine regions. The tower played the role of protective military fortification and was named the “Tower of Jesus”. It was also used as a quay. In order to provide more safety to the neighbouring territories in 1341 there was begun the construction of Galata fortress walls.

The fortress gained its existing name already in the Ottoman period. After the conquest of the territory by Turks, the tower was rebuilt by the architect, named Murad Bin Hairettin. As the result, some floors were added to the building, and on its top appeared a sharp capstan. During its existence the tower used to be an observatory, a sea beacon, and even a prison, it has been repaired for several times and adapted for its new assignments...

The present

Today the Galata tower serves for the joy of the numerous tourists and the amateurs of Turkish beauties – there is a lift inside the tower, and in its upper part now you can find a restaurant, a night club, a souvenir store and an observation area, which can help you see the panorama of the major part of Istanbul, when you walk around the tower.

From the height you will see the whole city in its beauty and contrasts – tall buildings of glass and concrete and small houses, covered with reddish tile – quite typical for Istanbul. All these unforgettable impressions are available for anyone, that is why, do not forget to visit this monument of ancient medieval Genoese architecture, extremely popular among the numerous tourists of the city.

You can visit Galata tower every day from 9 a.m. To 8 p.m. The cost of entrance is just 10 Turkish Liras.