Galata Tower

Galata Tower
Galata Kulesi
Istanbul asv2020-02 img48 Galata Tower.jpg
Galata Tower (January 2021)
Former namesTurris Sancte Crucis (Holy Cross Tower)
General information
TypeWatchtower (former) · observation tower (former) · fire tower (former) · touristic building · museum · exhibition place
LocationIstanbul, Turkey
Coordinates41°1′32.36″N 28°58′26.96″E / 41.0256556°N 28.9741556°E / 41.0256556; 28.9741556
Completed1348
Renovated1453 · 1510 · 1794 · 1832 · 1875 · 1965-1967 · 1999-2000 · 2020
OwnerDirectorate General of Foundations
ManagementOfficial website
Height
Architectural62.59 m (205 ft)
Top floor40.04 m (131 ft)
Dimensions
DiameterInterior: 8.95 m (29.4 ft)
Exterior: 16.45 m (54.0 ft)
Technical details
Structural systemMasonry
MaterialStone
Floor count11 (including the basement, the ground floor and the mezzanine)
Lifts/elevators2
Grounds208 m2 (2,240 sq ft)

The Galata Tower (Turkish: Galata Kulesi), or with the current official name Galata Kulesi Museum (Turkish: Galata Kulesi Müzesi), is a tower in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after the quarter in which it is located, Galata. Built as a watchtower at the highest point of the Walls of Galata, the tower is now an exhibition space and museum, and one of the symbols of Beyoğlu and Istanbul.

History

During the Byzantine period the Emperor Justinian had a tower erected in what was to become Galata. This tower was destroyed during the Fourth Crusade.

The famous Galata Tower of today was first built in 1348 in Romanesque style as the Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. At the time the Galata Tower, at 219.5 ft (66.9 m), was the tallest building in Constantinople.

After the Genoese colony was dismantled and the walls pulled down in 1453, the tower was used as a prison in the 16th century. It was from its roof that, in 1638, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi strapped on wings and made the first intercontinental flight, landing in the Doğancılar Meydanı in Üsküdar on the Asian side of the city, a story of doubtful authenticity recounted by the Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Çelebi.

From 1717, the Ottomans used the tower to look out for fires (on the Old Istanbul side of the city the Beyazıt Tower served the same function). In 1794, during the reign of Sultan Selim III, the roof of the tower was made of lead and wood, and the stairs were severely damaged by a fire. Another fire damaged the building in 1831, after which further restoration work took place.

In 1875, the tower's conical roof was destroyed during a storm. It remained without this iconic roof for the rest of the Ottoman period. Many years later, during restoration work between 1965 and 1967, the conical roof was reconstructed. At the same time the tower's wooden interior was replaced with a concrete structure and it was opened to the public.[citation needed]

In 2020 the Tower was controversially restored then opened as a museum. [1] It is mainly popular for the 360-degree views of Istanbul visible from its observation deck.

Panoramic view from the observation deck of the Galata Tower during the late Ottoman period
View of the Golden Horn and the Seraglio Point from Galata Tower

Dimensions

The nine-story tower is (62.59 m (205.3 ft) excluding the ornament on the top, 51.65 m (169.5 ft) at the observation deck), and was the city's tallest structure when it was built. The elevation at ground level is 61 m (200 ft) above sea-level. The tower has an external diameter of 16.45 m (54.0 ft) at the base, an inside diameter of 8.95 m (29.4 ft), and walls that are 3.75 m (12.3 ft) thick.

Gallery

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-09-30 20:43 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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