Maiden's Tower, Maritime lighthouse in Üsküdar, Turkey
Maiden's Tower occupies a tiny islet roughly 200 meters (about 656 feet) off the Asian shore of Istanbul and marks the southern gateway to the Bosphorus channel. The structure is a cylindrical stone tower with multiple floors that once functioned as a beacon and now houses a restaurant along with an observation deck.
Emperor Alexius Comnenus began erecting a wooden tower protected by stone walls in 1110. Later rebuilds under Ottoman rule transformed the site into a beacon station and customs checkpoint.
Local stories link the tower's name to an emperor's daughter confined here after a prophecy foretold her death from a snakebite. Today visitors walk through interior spaces that balance a restaurant and viewing area with the memory of its earlier roles.
Regular boats depart from Salacak pier in Üsküdar or from Galataport and ferry travelers to the islet within minutes. Trips run daily from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM, with weekends and summer evenings drawing larger crowds.
Over the centuries the site served alternately as a quarantine station during epidemics and as a defense post against incoming vessels. Archaeologists also found traces of Roman chains on the islet that once blocked enemy fleets.
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