Galata Tower

Being an extremely vivid and crowded metropolis in Turkey, Istanbul has a lot of historical and cultural venues to visit. When someone mentions Istanbul, it is almost impossible to imagine the city silhouette without lots of minarets, skyscrapers and historical buildings reaching out to the sky under those warm, saturated rays of the setting sun.

There is a specific structure almost known to every eye which had a glimpse of Istanbul before: the Galata Tower.

The History of Galata Tower

For hundreds of years, Galata Tower has been known for its presence in the silhouette of Istanbul city. First, it was built by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius in 528 as a Lighthouse Tower but it was widely damaged during the 4th crusade in 1204. After that, the current tower was built in 1348 during the Genoese rule and finished in 1445-46.

The Galata Tower and its history are quite attention grabbing. Back at those times, Galata Tower was the tallest building in the medieval city. It witnessed the rise and the fall of different empires such as the Byzantine and the Ottoman.

Galata Tower was mainly used as an observation tower in order to spot fires and to observe the water masses around the city. There are extraordinary legends that include this beautiful tower. For instance, the Ottoman traveller and historian Evliya Çelebi mentions a man in his Seyahatname. This man is no other than Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi who was said to fly from the European part of the city to the Anatolian over the Bosphorus with the help of his artificial wings by jumping from the tower. Somehow similar to the myth of the other artificial wings used by the Ancient Greek inventor Daedalus and his son Icarus, the legend of Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi is almost a myth as well. Although there are various accounts mentioning his presence and his exile to Algeria during the Ottoman rule, the reality of this man still remains as a mystery.

Another legend for Galata Tower is the belief that you marry the person with whom you have climbed to this tower for the first time. The source of this rumour is unknown; yet, one can say that it is rather a more modern rumour than those old ones. You can see many couples visiting Galata Tower, climbing to the top, taking selfies and making proposals there. Indeed, this romantic hearsay makes Galata Tower a great spot for marriage proposals.

Galata Tower in Our Contemporary Era

Among the hundreds of skyscrapers and towers of Istanbul, Galata Tower is no longer used with the intention of observing the city in case a fire starts or against the enemy forces that might arrive from the sea. At the very moment, Galata Tower is considered as a historical place to visit and the only observation that you can make there is for the sake of the splendid scenery of Istanbul city.

As a matter of fact, since it is considered as some kind of a historical site now, the visits to the top of Galata Tower cannot be performed with sole autonomy. There are specific times open for visit and a certain fee.

The visits for Galata Tower usually start at 10 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. Those visit hours are for the winter period between 1 November and 1 April.

As for the summer period which is between 1 April and 1 November, the visitors can come and climb the tower between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. However, you should be careful about the box office. They close the booths 30 minutes before the closing hour to prevent the visitors from being accumulated. So, it is best to get your tickets beforehand.

If you visit Galata Tower in the morning, it is usually easier to get in without excess crowd. In the afternoon, though, there is generally a visitor rush. If you are excited to get in Galata Tower, this might be disappointing and you may give up the visit.

Inside of Galata Tower

In order to get inside the tower, you have to use one of the two elevators. There will most probably be a queue in front of each; yet, do not be intimidated by the look of the queue. The average wait time in the queue is approximately 15-20 minutes.

You are going to climb 7 floors with the elevator and the rest is on feet. Galata Tower has 9 floors so you are going to climb 2 floors only.

The visitors were also able to spend time in the restaurant that belongs to Galata Tower but the restaurant has been converted into a museum during the restoration process in 2020.

Nevertheless, if you need a drink or if you need something to eat after witnessing the breath-taking beauty of Istanbul from Galata Tower, you can always take a walk in the famous Istiklal Street in Taksim. There are hundreds of good and entertaining places to have lunch or drinks. Besides, if you want a quick buzz, you can visit the garden cafe which is right below the tower.

There you can get to taste the famous Turkish Coffee and get the caffeine you need for the rest of your day.

Besides the traditional Turkish Coffee, you can find many coffee houses around in those narrow streets. There is no doubt that you’ll find the best coffee to your taste, so do not worry. The same thing applies if you get hungry, too. The famous Simit sold by the vendors on every corner is always another option for a quick snack.

You can also find chic restaurants, bars and art galleries in the area.

Frequently Asked Questions About Galata Tower