Galata Tower

The Galata Tower was a distinctive hilltop landmark in Beyoğlu, visible from Istanbul’s Old City on the other side of the Golden Horn. We had seen it earlier in the month when walking across the Galata Bridge. Now that we were staying in Beyoğlu, the tower was right near our hotel, so naturally we had to check it out.

We learned that the medieval stone tower had been built in 1348, when the area was a Genoese colony. At a height of nearly 220 feet, it was the tallest building in Constantinople. When the city fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the Galata Tower became a prison, then a watchtower for fires. Now it is a tourist attraction, popular for its 360° views of Istanbul.

We took an elevator to the 7th floor, where huge windows offered marvelous views. It was entertaining to watch the “big dress” portrait shoots on a nearby rooftop.

An iron staircase went up to the 9th floor observatory, where we could step outside and enjoy the spectacular views without any reflections from glass windows. The water of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn sparkled in the sunlight. Gorgeous!

We then walked down via a series of staircases, pausing on each floor to see the exhibits. There was a section of the chain that once stretched across the Golden Horn to defend Constantinople from invaders. The Ottomans carried their ships over land to get past the chain!

We also learned about an Ottoman scientist named Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi. In 1632, Çelebi reportedly donned a pair of wings, jumped off the top of Galata Tower, and glided across the Bosphorus. Çelebi survived the flight and was rewarded by the Sultan with a purse of gold coins and a free trip to Algeria, where he died in exile. Visitors to Galata Tower could experience Çelebi’s achievement via a virtual reality flight simulation.