Galata Tower

Galata tower :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp0JglnBHOc

Here is a 360 degrees video ⬆

The Galata Tower is a very important landmark in Istanbul and it’s beautiful.

It was built in 1348. On the 17th C, an Ottoman citizen, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi attempted to fly from Galata Tower to Asian Shore of Uskudar and he worked on his project for years. With the wings he invented, he succeded to fly to his target and this was a great success of that time. It was used as an observation tower and an important part of their defense system. It was used as a fire observation tower till 1960s, and later restored and converted to a touristic attraction.

The view from the observation deck is incredible and a must see!

Interesting Facts

Before you visit the tower, it will be interesting for you to know a few of the stories associated with the Galata Tower and the different things it was used for.

When the Ottomans captured Istanbul, they converted it into a prison and later used it as a dormitory for the military band.

However, the most well known story is that of Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi. The Galata Tower really became famous in Turkey and a part of Ottoman history when in the 17th century; Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi attempted to fly from the GalataTower to Uskudar on the Asian shore with wings attached to his arms. After working on this project for many years, he succeeded one fine day, when the winds carried him all the way over the Bosphorous to Uskudar. After this spectacular event, the locals referred to the tower as the Hezarfen Tower for quite some time.

It is also during this period that people used the tower for a strange sport. They tied ropes to the supports on top of the tower and slid down the rope. Later they climbed up the rope back to the top of the tower. Regular competitions were held in this sport of rope climbing.

At times, the tower was also used by the Mevlevi Order of the dervishes for their sema ceremonies.

The Galata Tower is my favourite place in Istanbul. What about you?Have you ever been to the Galata Tower? Comment if you have or why you havent.