The legendary Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is a medieval tower located in the Galata district. This beautiful building has become an integral part of the Turkish landscape, offering a marvellous blend of styles: Oriental Romanesque, Genoese and Ottoman. The influences can be felt throughout the architecture.

Of Istanbul's many towers, Galata is the oldest and, without doubt, the most emblematic. The tower is 63 metres high, conical and cylindrical, with a total of nine storeys, making it the tallest structure in the city when it was built.

The birth of the Tower of Galata is shrouded in mystery. For the moment, there are two theories. According to the first theory, the Byzantine emperor Justinian built the tower as a lighthouse in 527 A.D. In 1348, the Genoese colony arrived and rebuilt the monument inside the city walls of Galata to protect itself from invaders.

The Galata Tower provided excellent surveillance from inside the city walls and was of crucial military importance. It was also later used as a fire detection tower during the Ottoman Empire before being converted into a prison during the reign of Sultan Suleiman 'The Magnificent'.

Another famous story has it that the legendary Ottoman aviator Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi attached wooden wings to his arms and flew from the top of the tower to Doğancılar Square. This extraordinary feat of Hezârfen Çelebi has been passed down from generation to generation in Istanbul and is now a popular Galata Tower story.

The poetic 16-line inscription above the entrance tells how the tower was destroyed in the fire and then repaired by Sultan Mahmud II.

This nine-storey building has an observation balcony with an ornate metal network that surrounds the floor beneath the conical roof. The lower floor features round arches on pillars and circular brick arched windows.

Today, the part of the building up to the third floor has a Genoese character, while the other floors have more of an Ottoman style. The building has been re-established as a museum with exhibition areas by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and has been open to visitors since 2020.

During excavations carried out in 1965 to reinforce the tower's foundations, a tunnel passing through the centre of the sphere at a depth of 4 metres was found. It is thought that this tunnel, 70 cm wide and 140 cm high, made of stone, led down to the sea as a secret escape route during the Genoese period.

After descending some 30 metres into the tunnel, deformations and falling stones were discovered. During the same excavation, human skeletal remains were also found, along with ancient coins and an inscription. The authorities came to the conclusion that the skeletons belonged to convicts who had tried to dig a secret way into the tower, which was used as a dungeon during the Kanuni era (1494-1566), and died, buried beneath the ground.

Around the site, take a tour of the cultural centre, which boasts a host of monuments, experiences and sights to make your trip to Istanbul exceptional. From ancient monuments to shopping centres and cafés, the Galata district has everything you need to keep you entertained.