Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone structure in Beyoğlu with nine floors and an observation platform near the top. The cylindrical form is crowned by a conical lead roof added after a 19th-century restoration.

Genoese settlers built it in 1348 as Christea Turris to watch over their trading colony and protect against attacks. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, it served as a watchtower for spotting fires and later briefly as a prison.

The name comes from the Genoese word "galat," meaning slope, referring to the tower's location on a hillside overlooking the water. Locals often visit in the evening to watch the sunset over the city or dine at the restaurant inside.

An elevator takes visitors near the observation platform, from where you can see the old city and both shores of the Bosphorus. The upper floors host exhibitions about the city's history and the tower's role through the centuries.

In 1632, Ottoman aviator Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi reportedly flew from the top across the Bosphorus to the Asian shore using artificial wings. This legend is mentioned in several historical sources and remains part of local storytelling about the tower today.

Location: Beyoğlu

Inception: 1349

Architectural style: Romanesque architecture

Floors above the ground: 9

Floors below the ground: 1

Elevation above the sea: 35 m

Height: 62.59 m

Diameter: 16.45 m

Accessibility: Nicht rollstuhlgerecht

Fee: Yes

Charge: 650

Made from material: stone

Part of: Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea

Address: Bereketzade Mahallesi

Opening Hours: 09:00-20:30

Phone: +902122938180

Website: https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=GLT04&DistId=MRK

GPS coordinates: 41.02563,28.97415

Latest update: December 15, 2025 02:22