Every hour, every month and every season is beautiful in Istanbul. However, there are surely some specific hours that suit this coveted city, including the first hours of the day and the last farewell lights of the sun. When the golden color of the sun strikes Istanbul in its very first and last moments, the hidden beauties of the city reveal themselves. Watching Istanbul dipped in the beautiful golden hue that meets the blue of the Bosporus feels like reading a beautiful poem. And the Galata Tower stands out like the best lines in the poem.
The shorefront district of Karaköy is one of the old quarters of Istanbul. You will see it if you go down from the Beyoğlu district, just on the edge of the Golden Horn. If you stand on your toes while wandering around the colorful streets of Karaköy, you will see that Galata Tower accompanies you. Or if you sit on the left side of a ferry you get on from the Eminönü pier, you will go toward your destination with a view of the tower. Similarly, you can witness the magnificence of this great structure by taking a short walk on the Galata Bridge, which connects the two sides of the Golden Horn.
Galata calls out to us from its location over the historical peninsula almost like it's telling its own story. Let’s dust off the history pages to learn more about this elegant building.
In 1267, a trade colony was established in Galata, which was allocated to the Genoese by the Byzantines. The Genoese, who gained their independence in time, started to surround Galata with walls in 1303, primarily for their security. They created a trade network between the Black Sea and Mediterranean ports, which would last 186 years in this region. After the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottomans, the autonomy of the region was recognized on June 1, 1453, with an ahidname – an edict guaranteeing the rights of the people – given by Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror. This state called Magnifica Comunita di Pera, which had religious, commercial and autonomous freedom, sustained its existence until 1805. Galata was attached to the city of Genoa; after this city was occupied first by the French and then the Sardinians, the state in Galata also came to an end.
The Galata district experienced the most important change when the Ottoman Empire opened its doors to European traders with the 1838 Treaty of Balta Liman, the 1839 Tanzimat Fermanı (The Edict of Gülhane) and the Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856. During this period, 50,000 Levantines migrated to many important port quarters in Istanbul, including Galata. Thanks to its strategic location, the Galata region became the most important trade center of the Ottoman Empire. During this period, foreign banks, maritime companies and insurance companies began to settle in the region. After Galata became a trade center, its ambiance also began to change as the Levantines settled in the region to live. Restaurants, passages, patisseries, cafes, opera and movie halls became indispensable parts of it. The most important structure of this center of commerce and socialization was the Galata Tower.
Although it is not known exactly when the tower was built, according to historical sources it was constructed by the Genoese between 1348-1349. The tower, which was built as a watchtower within the Galata walls, was called Christtea Turris (Jesus Tower) by the Genoese and Megalos Pyrgos (Great Tower) by the Byzantines while the Turks named it Galata.
The Genoese, in alliance with the Byzantine Empire, established a colony called "Pera" in the Galata district of Istanbul in 1267. Over time, they expanded the dominance of the colony with the permission of the empire. They built the Galata Tower in this region to have both a watchtower and a military and defense structure against a land siege. A war broke out between the Genoese and the Byzantines shortly after the tower was built and lasted for a year. As the war ended with an agreement signed afterward, the hill where the Galata Tower was located was given to the Genoese due to the cross on the top of the structure with an edict issued by the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. With the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453, the Genoese left the entire colony to the Ottomans without any conflict.
Although the Galata Tower suffered some damage after it was conquered by the Ottomans, the destructions were halted following an edict issued by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II for Pera and the works led by Zaganos Pasha. With these works, the tower was raised again and the cross on the top of the tower was replaced with the flag of the Ottoman Empire.
The great Istanbul earthquake in 1509 caused great destruction in the city. The tsunami that occurred after the earthquake reached 6 meters (20 feet) in some places, opening the city walls and damaging some structures. The Galata Tower was among the structure badly damaged in this disaster. It was raised with the repair works carried out by architect Hayreddin.
The Galata Tower was used as a dungeon and a shelter for Christian war prisoners working in the shipyards in Kasımpaşa in the 16th century. According to Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi's “Seyahatname” (“Books of Travel”), the tower was used as the shipyard supply warehouse in the 17th century. It started to be used as a fire tower by the fire watchers in the 18th century.
After a fire in 1794, the design of the tower was changed and the height of the tower was shortened. The tower, which underwent various renovations over the years, was again used as a fire tower in the service of the fire department, established in 1874, while at the same time it was utilized as a communication center by the navy. The tower was used for the same purpose after the proclamation of the republic and started to be transformed into a touristic facility with the initiatives of the then-mayor in the 1960s. With the decision of the Council of Ministers on Sept. 3, 1989, Galata Tower and its surroundings came under the authority of the Ministry of Tourism. Various studies have been carried out on the tower over the years, and the tower has served under different institutions over time. On Oct. 6, 2020, the Galata Tower was reopened as the Galata Museum Tower and today serves as an exhibition center and museum.
The tower takes its name from the district where it is located. It was built on a hill with an altitude of 35 meters in the Galata district. The tower, which is 62.56 meters high from the ground to the tip of the roof, is in the form of cylindrical masonry in the Romanesque style, which emerged in Western Europe – where Roman and Byzantine elements were based – and contributed to the development of the gothic architectural style. While the inner diameter of the tower is 8.95 meters, the outer diameter is 16.45 meters. The walls of the tower that we see from the outside are 3.75 meters. It weighs 10,000 tons, and its foundation is made of massive stone. The nine-story tower offers an impressive view to its visitors.
While many folktales about the historical tower are told, the most popular one is about Ottoman scientist Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi, which Evliya Çelebi has mentioned in his travel book. Rumor has it that Ahmet Çelebi flew from the Galata Tower through the southeastern wind with eagle wings he made in 1632 and succeeded in landing at Doğancılar in Üsküdar on the opposite side. Moreover, the sovereign of the period, Sultan Murad IV, watched this action from the Sinan Pasha mansion in Sarayburnu. Historians are not sure of the reality of the incident since there is no information from other sources on this subject.
Istanbul has witnessed many impossible love stories over the centuries, sometimes even becoming the very reason for this impossibility. According to one such legend is that the Maiden's Tower, which was built by the Greeks before the common era, always resented its own loneliness as it envied the lovers who came to watch the Galata Tower right in front of it. The Galata Tower also has feelings for the Maiden's Tower but there was a big obstacle between them: The Bosporus. One day, when Hezarfen Çelebi climbed to the Galata Tower to fly with the wings, the tower sees this as an opportunity and begs him to deliver the letters it has written to the Maiden's Tower for centuries. Hezerfan Çelebi gives the letters to the Maiden's Tower when he manages to fly and both towers become sure of each other's feelings. They never meet, but for those who know how to listen, sometimes sea waves carry their love, sometimes seagulls or a light breeze.
