Beyazıt Tower, Fire tower in Fatih, Turkey
Beyazıt Tower is a stone watchtower located on Istanbul University's main campus and rises approximately 85 meters high. The structure was designed to monitor the surrounding city and enable quick responses when fires broke out.
The tower was built in 1828 by the Balyan family from stone, replacing older wooden structures that had existed since 1749. Over the following years, modifications were made to improve its effectiveness for the city's safety needs.
The tower houses a museum where visitors can learn how fire prevention evolved in Istanbul across different centuries. The collections show how people worked to protect the city from the danger of fires.
The tower uses a color-coded light system to show weather conditions: red indicates snow, blue signals clear skies, and green represents rain. This allows visitors and residents to quickly understand current conditions without needing other information.
Additional floors were added in the 1840s to expand emergency signaling capabilities and flag displays across the city. This expansion shows how the structure evolved to meet Istanbul's changing needs over time.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
