Galata Tower - Istanbul, TURKIYE

The first wooden tower on Galata Hill appeared in the Vth century. And the tower, which is well-known today, was built by the Genoese in the middle of the XIV century. In the Middle Ages, the Galata Tower served as an observatory, a lookout platform and a prison. It became the place where the first Turkish balloonist Hezarfen made a successful flight from.

The tower, which has survived to the present day, appeared on Galata Hill in 1348-1349, when the Genoese conquered these lands. The powerful structure was called the “Tower of Jesus” (in Latin “Christea Turris”). The tall stone building had a wall thickness of up to 3.5 m, a diameter of 9 m and served as an excellent landmark for sailors. Besides, it was an important part of the defensive structures encircling Galata. In addition to towers and stone walls, the Genoese line of fortifications included wide moats. Today the fact that they existed can be confirmed by the names of two small streets near the Galata Tower – Buyuk Handek (“Big Moat”) and Kucuk Handek (“Small Moat”).

Ancient Istanbul suffered from earthquakes from time to time. One of them happened in 1509. The tremors were so strong that the high-rise structure collapsed. The architect Hayreddin was engaged in the restoration and superstructure of the Galata Tower.