Galata Tower: A Panoramic Vista of the Bosphorus and the Ancient City of Istanbul

Towering in the skyline in this wikimedia picture

Strolling around the old part of Istanbul, a landmark that is hard to miss was an ancient tower that solidly carves out a space in the skyline among crowded buildings. The cylindrical towering structure is the famed Galata Tower.

Standing at the base

Prior to Istanbul being one definable monolithic city, it was composed of various districts including some that basically autonomous all occupying the same general space. A city wall surrounded the Genoese Colony of Galata with the tower erected at the highest strategic point overlooking the old city of Constantinople. The tower was also used for surveillance purposes over the harbor as the Genoese colony was engaged in commercial activities that span beyond their immediate vicinity. While the city walls are gone the tower, which was originally named Christea Turris in Latin (Tower of Christ) and Galata Kulesi (in Turkish), remains sturdy and in use today for panoramic view of the city as well as a venue for restaurant and night club in its upper floors.

The marker on the base wall

It is believed that the tower was first built by a Byzantine emperor in 507 AD and then rebuilt in its present stone form in 1348 by the Genoese colony for strategic defensive reasons as homage to the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus, who granted the Genoese permission to settle there. Over centuries and over the years the tower had been scarred by fires but always eventually repaired. The last repair/restoration work was in 1967 after which it was opened to the public.

Blends into the modern street

The tower stands 9 stories high at 219 feet with 12 feet thick walls. The tower had served over the years as surveillance fort, dormitory, dungeon, jail, and jump off platform for amateur aviators and then a fire monitoring post for the city of Istanbul. Now it is more a tourist fixture with restaurant and nightclub and the obligatory gift shop.  The base is transformed into a plaza that attracts the artsy folks, along with tourists enjoying nice café atmosphere in the surrounding shops and restaurants while magicians, musicians and other entertainment types work their art.

Up close

Standing at the base and leaning or hugging portions of the tower gives an awesome sense of connection to folks that lived around the area in the 13^th and 14^th century yet reminding yourself of how transient we all are knowing that soon after the current generation all pass away, a new generation will be standing at the same base and wondering about those who lived before and spent time there before their time.