Galata Tower, which is considered among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. The Tower, one of the most important structures forming the silhouette of Istanbul, was used as a long-term fire watchtower and was named Galata Fire Tower.
Galata Tower – Istanbul
It is known that interest in the tower increased gradually after Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi completed his flight in Üsküdar, which he carried out by tying wooden wings to his back from the the Tower, where he tried to fly, in the seventeenth century.
the Tower – Istanbul
Who Built Galata Tower?
The Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 507-508 AD. The present-day tower was rebuilt by the Genoese in 1348-49. The tower was raised between 1445 and 46. It was damaged by an earthquake in the 1500s and was repaired by Architect Murad bin Hayreddin. III. After the tower was repaired during the Selim period, a bay window was added to the upper floor of the tower. In 1831, the tower suffers another fire, II. Mahmut rises two more floors above the tower and the top of the tower is covered with the famous cone-shaped roof cover. The tower, which was repaired in 1967, will be restored in 2020.
Galata Tower – Istanbul
Architecture of Galata Tower
Galata Tower was built in a masonry rubble stone mesh system. The exterior is stone masonry. The 16-line eulogy in the inscription at the entrance II. It is thought that it was written in his name because it was built during the reign of Mahmut.
Galata Tower – Istanbul
The round arched window above the door was the watchtower of the soldiers. It is a nine-storey building after the high ground floor. The windows on its cylindrical body are round arched with brickwork. The development of the last two floors just below the cone roof is emphasized by the profiled moldings surrounding the cylindrical body. There is a meshed viewing balcony with metal ornaments that wraps the floor under the cone roof. On the lower floor, there are round arches sitting on deep niches and windows with round arches made of brick.
Galata Tower – Istanbul
Today, it is observed that the part of the building up to the third floor has a Genoese character and the other floors have an Ottoman character. Today, the building is used for social and cultural activities.
Source: Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism