What is the history of galata tower? Where is the galata tower located? Why galata tower is famous?
Galata, where Genoese lived before the conquest, is located along the opposite shore of the Golden Horn. The tower, which is located in Galata, was a part of the city walls built to protect Galata.
Galata Tower, one of the oldest towers of the world, was first built by Byzantine Emperor Anastasius in 528 as a lighthouse. The tower, which was considerably damaged during the Latin Invasion, was rebuilt by Genoese in 1348 from cast stones, and named as “Cristea Turris” (Tower of Christ). The 69.90-meter tall tower was the highest building of the city in its time. The walls of the tower are about 3.75 meter wide. The outer diameter of the tower is 16.45 meters and inner diameter is 8.95 meters.
After it was damaged in an earthquake in 1509, it was restored by the Architect Hayreddin.
In the Ottoman Era, it was used as a shelter for a while for the captives working in the shipyard. During the time of Sultan Murad III, it was used as an observatory by Takiyüddin Mehmet Efendi, yet then it was closed in 1579. During the following years, it was used as an observation tower to spot the fires.
No doubt, one of the most unforgettable memories in the history of Galata Tower took place in1638 during the time of Sultan Murad IV. By using the artificial wings developed by himself, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi attempted to fly from the Tower to the Hill of Doğancılar in Üsküdar in the Anatolian side of Istanbul.
The Tower took its present shape after the restorations carried out during the time of Sultan Selim II and Sultan Mahmut II. Today the tower is used as a touristic place and its top floor serves as a restaurant. The balcony of the upper floor surrounding the tower is an ideal place to sight the city.
Source: Harun Kırkıl, Read About and Travel Around ISTANBUL, Erkam Publications