Audio GuideGalata Tower

High on one of Istanbul’s most storied hills stands Galata Kulesi, a remarkable stone tower whose weathered walls hold nearly seven centuries of history. Its round, sturdy shape and conical roof are easy to spot above the lively streets and old lanes of Beyoğlu, not far from the waters of the Bosphorus. The feeling here is both ancient and vibrant—gray stone glints in the sun by day, and at night, golden lights wrap the tower in a gentle glow.

Еаликино Абинореал

Galata Kulesi was raised in the middle of the fourteenth century by the Genoese, a powerful trading people from Italy. At that time, the area around Galata was their walled colony, and they called the tower the Tower of the Holy Cross. With its thick walls of stone and Romanesque design, it served as both a fortification and a lookout, guarding the city and the bustling harbor below.

Kudret Caner

Over time, as rulers changed, so did the tower’s purpose. When the Ottomans took the city in the fifteenth century, Galata Kulesi avoided destruction and soon held everything from prisoners to supplies. In the following centuries, the tower became a fire watchtower, its outlook vital in spotting blazes threatening the city’s wooden houses.

Almatar Almatar

Galata Kulesi’s fame grew with tales such as the legendary flight in the seventeenth century of Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi, who was said to have launched himself with artificial wings from the tower across the Bosphorus.

In modern times, the tower suffered damage from fires, storms, and even earthquakes but has been carefully restored again and again—most recently, in the early two thousand twenties, it became a museum and exhibition space, open for people to explore layer upon layer of Istanbul’s past and present.

Inside, each floor tells a different story. Ancient stairways and sturdy walls lead to displays about the city, the tower’s own changing roles, and the unique figures connected to its history. Artists have painted and written about Galata Kulesi for centuries, cementing its place as one of Istanbul’s true icons—both in daily life and in the city’s dreams.