Galata Tower in Istanbul. Galata Tower is an iconic landmark of Istanbul. Photo walk around the tower and views from it


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The Galata Tower is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Istanbul. The Galata Tower is actually clearly visible from everywhere since it is located on top of Galata Hill. Galata is an ancient trade and craft district of Constantinople, located on the northern shore of the Golden Horn in the European part of Istanbul. It was founded by Genoese colonists in the late Byzantine era as a suburb of Constantinople, and later became the main commercial and XIII district of the great city, into which Constantinople was divided, being the capital of the Byzantine Empire. According to legend, the division into 14 districts was established by Constantine the Great (306-337), who made this city the capital of his empire.

The word Galata possibly goes back to the Greek galaktos - milky - in the first centuries of Constantinople there were extensive pastures of goats and sheep in the Galatians. According to another version, the word comes from the name of one of the Celtic tribes of Anatolia - the Galatians. Italians sometimes associate the name with the word "calata" - slope, which is most likely an example of folk etymology. During the Byzantine period, Galata was famous for ceramic production, horticulture and animal husbandry. The area was called Shiki, whose origins are associated with fig tree orchards. Galata received particular development around 203, during the construction boom that swept Byzantium under Emperor Septimius Severus, which expanded and rebuilt the city.

We will see the Galata Tower from different vantage points in Istanbul, including from the sea, we will examine the tower up close and inside, we will visit the observation deck - we will try to see the “ghost of Constantinople” from above and we will walk a little through the narrow, intricate, ancient and extremely authentic streets of Galata.


After the official founding of the Second Rome in 330 by Emperor Constantine the Great, in the 4th century, probably still under him, Galata entered directly into the city limits and, facing the threat of barbarian invasions, was protected by a defensive wall, the territory of which is now not entirely clear.
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Galata Hill, Galata Bridge.

The sea section of the Siki walls, running along the shore of the Golden Horn, was of great strategic importance, covering this natural anchorage from the north. The seaside walls were protected by two ports located in this region: the port of Siki, which was located in the depths of the bay, and the port of Esartisis (Bifary), which was a naval complex that included, in addition to the port facilities itself, a shipyard, an arsenal and barracks.
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Further expansion of the area occurred in the last quarter of the 5th century under Emperor Zeno the Isaurian (474-491), incl. On the northeastern section of the walls, the Great Tower was erected (in the future - the Galata Tower - the Tower of Christ).
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Borders of the Galata district in Constantinople.

Under Emperor Justinian I the Great, after 534, there was a massive restoration of residential, public and fortification structures in the region, which received official name Justinianople, however, has not taken root either officially or in everyday life.

The region withstood, along with the rest of the city, a number of barbarian and Persian sieges. And in 717, under Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741), one of the towers, located in the throat of the bay, was built as an integral element Boom systems for the Golden Horn Bay, after which Constantinople more successfully resists Islamic aggression.
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Authentic links of the chain that blocked the Golden Horn from enemy ships. Galata is on the right in this painting of Constantinople.

Boom system for the Golden Horn Bay.
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Barrier booms prevented the passage of enemy ships into the Golden Horn Bay.

In 907, residents of the region witnessed the transfer of part of the fleet of the Kyiv prince Oleg the Prophet to the Golden Horn Bay by land, bypassing the barrier booms of Constantinople. The transfer was carried out from the north-eastern and north-western sides of the walls of Galata.

“...And Oleg commanded his warriors to make wheels and put ships on wheels, and with a fair wind they raised the sails... and went to the city...”.

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The success of this maneuver by Prince Oleg stunned the Greeks. Seeing enemy ships located in the middle of the bay, which was considered inaccessible, the co-emperor emperors agreed to begin negotiations with Oleg. They were also forced to take this step by the repentant mood that gripped the population of the capital (Oleg calculated everything and obviously accepted necessary measures for this information and propaganda stuffing). Suddenly they remembered how several years before, in 904, the imperial authorities refused to help Thessalonica, which was under siege by the Arabs. The inhabitants of Thessalonica were outraged that they were left to the mercy of fate, and prophesied that Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of the city, would certainly punish Constantinople for this betrayal. And now in the capital on every corner one could hear: “It is not Oleg, but Saint Dmitry himself who was sent to us by God.” It was unthinkable to resist heavenly punishment... A peaceful and successful treaty with Constantinople was soon concluded.
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Galata. View from the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Due to increasing tensions between the Patriarchate and the Curia, in a region geographically isolated from the rest of the city, everyone in large quantities Western traders begin to settle, and since the official schism of the Church in 1054 this process has intensified significantly, despite the fact that quarters with Latins existed in south coast bay.
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After the capture of Constantinople as a result of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, in fact, until the expulsion of the Crusaders in 1261, Region XIII was the political and economic center of Constantinople. After 1204, the Latins demolished the dilapidated Great Tower. In 1233, the Church of Saints Paul and Domenicus was built, which is the only significant building in Constantinople during the Latin occupation. After the liberation of the city in 1261, despite certain pressure on the remaining Latins, the church was transferred to the Genoese. A little later, the process of strengthening the presence of Latin merchants in Galata, primarily from Genoa, resumes.
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In 1273, an agreement was signed with the Genoese Republic. Galata, until the fall of the city in 1453, turned, de facto, into a colony of Genoa. In 1303, the Podestà of Galata received permission to begin not only to restore the region's dilapidated walls, but also to build new ones, expanding Galata.



View of Galata Hill from the Eminonu district.

By 1316, the municipal palace (Palace of the Podesta - city administration) was erected, and in 1348 - the Tower of Christ or the Galata Tower. According to some sources, it was erected next to the previously existing Great Tower, according to others - on its foundation. We see the Galata Tower on the right side of the engraving fragment with an elongated dome.
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By the time the Turks began the siege of Constantinople in 1453, the fortifications of Galata most fully corresponded to the development of military engineering thought of that period. Despite the Byzantine building technology used, the region itself contrasted sharply, both in its Western European appearance and in its standard of living, with the main part of Constantinople.
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Galata from the observation deck of Topkapi Palace.

The passivity of the Latin garrison during the siege of the city by Mehmed II, in particular, the failure to resist the transfer of Turkish ships to the Golden Horn, which repeated the maneuver of Oleg the Prophet, largely influenced the fall of the city. Galata itself was surrendered to the Turks without a fight, which also influenced their attitude towards the Latins: the Ottomans did not touch not only the remaining inhabitants and their property, but also the property of those who fled, and the Sultan’s treasury only requisitioned what, after the census and sealing, was not was claimed by some of the non-returners.
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Despite the fact that part of the external walls was demolished by order of the Sultan, European merchants managed to preserve most of the fortification system, incl. completely - internal walls.
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Fragments of the ruins of the sea walls of Galata quite recently could be seen here and there from the sea, but now a large-scale reconstruction of the embankments of Galata is underway and everything is covered with construction panels. Obviously these remains of historical walls will also be destroyed.

After the devastating earthquake of 1509, which destroyed almost the entire line of walls, both external and internal, the Genoese managed to relatively short time to restore them, which saved the Christian population from massacre during the Janissary revolt of 1533. Over time, the importance of defensive walls completely disappeared. The walls were ruined and dismantled by the population into spolia (decorative elements of collapsing buildings). The fatal blow to the walls was dealt in 1864, when, on the orders of Sultan Abdul-Aziz, who sought to reform not only Porto, but also Istanbul in particular, most of them were demolished.
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In Galata, in addition to the Tower of Christ (Galata Tower) and the Church of St. Paul and Domenic, elements of fortifications have been preserved, incl. marine; Podesta Palace; quite a few private Genoese buildings. Let's walk through the old ancient streets of Galata. Wherever you go here, everywhere you can find here and there the remains of Genoese buildings against the backdrop of faceless, ugly, motley Turkish multi-story buildings, as well as quite decent restored buildings and countless fences that apparently also hide fragments of the colony’s ancient buildings.
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This remarkable building was built in 1314 by the Genoese, as evidenced by the inscription on the commemorative marble slab on the façade.
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There are also the ubiquitous calm and philosophically minded Galatian seals, which apparently trace their ancestry back to the ones of Constantinople)
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Tribunal of Galata. The building is approximately dated to the end of the 13th - 14th centuries.
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Genoese prison in Galatians. It is located very close to the Tribunal. (Everything is quite conveniently located). The dating of the building is the same as that of the Tribunal building.

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There are streets of Galata that are quite decent and very beautiful.
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So we gradually reached the Galata Tower itself.
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By the way, this wall (pictured below) is very old. A surviving fragment of it is visible, erected before 1303 - before obtaining permission from the Byzantine authorities for fortification work. Most likely, these walls, which became internal, underwent major repairs around the period of construction of the Tower, i.e. around 1348.
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Galata Tower (Tower of Christ)- Genoese donjon (the main tower inside the fortress) on the territory of Galata. It was probably built on the foundation of the dilapidated Great Tower, which was demolished after 1204 (last quarter of the 5th century). The latter is more likely. The tower is often mistakenly attributed to the use of the tower as part of the boom system of the Golden Horn Bay as an attachment point for the anchor part of the chain. In 1446 the tower was built on. It had six floors.

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Up close, the tower is also extremely impressive. To get inside you need to wait in a long line. We stood there for about 15-20 minutes.
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It's quite civilized around the tower.
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While we’re standing, let’s take a closer look at the tower in the sunset sunlight using a telephoto lens)
The lucky ones on the observation deck of the tower. When we get there, the observation deck will be full of people, and there won’t be enough space at the circular handrails of the tower. You will have to constantly work with your elbows and dodge the pushes of squeezing people in order to photograph the surrounding beauty in detail)
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There is very little left. The queue constantly moves steadily and peacefully, there is no fuss. Yes, you can see for yourself.
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The first tier of the Galata Tower. Here they sell tickets and check the bags and backpacks of visitors.
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There are two modern high-speed elevators here, so you won’t have to gruelingly climb the steps of the tower)
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We give the reconstruction and interiors of the Galata Tower a solid five.
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There is a famous restaurant at the observation deck level, but no one really sits there now during daylight hours, as I understand it. There are no customers in the restaurant also because everyone is breathtaking panoramic views from the windows they completely obscure the backs of those who want to see Istanbul with their own eyes from a bird's eye view. Obviously in the evening the restaurant begins to fully function when its exclusive menu includes night views of Istanbul and the observation deck is closed to visitors)
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Well, now the most interesting part - let’s go out to the lookout!) We’ll walk around it clockwise.
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Golden Horn Bay. View of the western part of Istanbul.

At the same time, a couple of close-ups of the decoration of the tower walls. You have to film in a crowd of people)
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And a view of the Bosphorus Strait gradually opens up before us.
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Here it is finally! To the left is the Bosphorus Strait, to the right is the Golden Horn Bay, and a little further behind the palace cape - Sarayburnu the Sea of ​​Marmara begins.
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In the foreground is the Golden Horn, in the middle is the historical palace cape of Istanbul, in the background is the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Princes' Islands.

(Türkiye). From its height there is a magnificent view of this ancient and most interesting city. If you are planning a trip to Istanbul, be sure to include a visit to Galata in your itinerary! You can read about the history of the building, as well as how to get here, in this article. You will also find out what impressions tourists have from visiting this attraction.

Galata Tower: photo, description

Galata was built back in the 14th century. Its height is 61 meters. In addition, it is located on a hill, so the structure rises above sea level by as much as 140 meters! Thanks to this, the Galata Tower can be seen from almost every district of Istanbul.

Story

The Galata Tower boasts a centuries-old history. Thus, historians believe that in its place the tower was erected in the 5th century AD. At that time, the ruler here was the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. But then the structure was made of wood, so it could not last long. The Galata Tower was erected on this site from stone in 1348.

A century later, Byzantium was captured by the Turks. Accordingly, Galata also came into their possession. At different times, the tower performed a variety of functions: a lighthouse for merchant ships, a fire tower, an observatory, and even a prison.

Throughout its long history, the building has been restored more than once. The last large-scale work was carried out in 1967. Then the dome of the tower was rebuilt and elevators were erected. A restaurant was also installed on one of the upper floors. The diameter of the cone-shaped roof is almost 9 meters, and the width of the walls is 3.75 m.

By the way, Galata is also known as Hezarfena. The world-famous flight of the Turkish Icarus is also associated with it. So, in the middle 17th century, a scientist named Hezarfen Ahmet Chelyabi was able to fly from the roof of the structure to the Asian shore of the Bosphorus Strait on a glider, which he personally designed.

Observation deck

Today this building is popular due to the restaurant and nightclub located in it, as well as, of course, the observation deck. In addition, on the top floor of the tower, for an additional fee (about 5 euros), you can take a photo in As for the restaurant, the prices here are not low at all. However, the opening is definitely worth allowing yourself to drink at least a cup of coffee or a glass of wine here. By the way, experienced tourists recommend visiting this establishment in the late afternoon. There are not many visitors here at this time. There is also a souvenir shop on the ground floor of Galata. Here you can buy a variety of souvenirs.

As for the observation deck, the view from the Galata Tower is truly amazing. So, the whole of Istanbul will spread out before you in full view. In addition, the bay and the Sea of ​​Marmara are clearly visible from here.

Galata Tower: how to get there

This attraction is located in the European part of the city in an area called Galata. As already mentioned, the tower is located on a hill. It can be seen from almost every district of Istanbul, so you can’t go wrong in the direction. There are several ways to get to the Galata Tower:

  • You can take the tram to the Karakoy stop and then walk up the stairs towards Istiklal Street.
  • If you are walking along Istiklal Street, then when you reach the end of it, you can turn right. You will be taken to the square where the Galata Tower is located.
  • Having reached the Karakoy stop, you can use the Tunnel metro station and then walk a little in the direction of the Golden Horn Bay.

This attraction is open to the public every day from nine in the morning until half past eight in the evening. In winter the tower closes earlier. However, the restaurant is open until midnight. The cost of visiting the Galata observation deck is about 13 liras.

Thousands of tourists from all over the world make a daily pilgrimage to the observation deck of the tower to see from a bird's eye view large city Istanbul. It stands proudly on a hill surrounded by residential areas and can be seen from anywhere in the city, because its height is 68 meters.

Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) or Galata Tower

The Galata Tower has its own complicated story. The tower, originally built in the 5th century by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, was wooden. And in 1446, the tower was built from rough stone, and at that time it was gigantic in height (68 meters) and thickness (the walls were about 4 meters thick). The diameter of the tower was 16.5 meters. The main function of the Galata Tower was to watch over ships in the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. However, it also served other historical events. In the 16th century, the first attempt to fly was made from one of the observation platforms of the tower. And in 1632, the scientist Ahmet Celibi Hezarfen designed a glider and flew from the roof of the tower across the Bosphorus to its Asian shore. Thanks to this “Turkish Icarus”, the Galata Tower is also known in history as the Tower of Hezarfen.

After the capture of Constantinople, the tower began to be used for various purposes. Several lower floors served as a preliminary detention cell, on the upper floors there were special observation platforms for fires in the city, and even an astronomical observatory was built. In 1967, the Galata Tower was made more Free access for tourists to the observation deck, and it gradually lost its observation functions. It was reconstructed - covered with a cone-shaped roof and two elevators were installed in the tower. In addition, a restaurant was installed on one of the upper floors.

Unusual excursions in Istanbul

What's interesting about the Galata Tower?

Nowadays, the Galata Tower is a museum and a place for have a great time. There is a restaurant on the eighth floor of the tower Galata Kulesi. The restaurant offers lunch and dinner. The restaurant's evening program includes exotic belly dancing, various show programs and performances by folklore groups. And on the ninth floor is night club. To get to the famous observation deck of the Galata Tower, you must first buy a ticket downstairs in the lobby and take the elevator to the floor on which the restaurant is located. Then you need to climb the stairs to the top floor and go out onto the open area. You need to be careful here, as the site does not have mesh fences. This is done so as not to disturb the magnificent all-round view of Istanbul when filming and photographing. If you're lucky enough to get into this amazing place at the moment of sunset, the impressions and photographs will be especially magnificent.

The Galata Tower is located on a high hill in the European part of Istanbul. This is one of the main symbols of the city and a popular attraction - people come to see it great amount tourists coming to Turkey.

Story

The Galata Tower in Turkey has a long history. The first tower in its place was built in the fifth century AD under Emperor Justinian. The structure was wooden and did not stand for long. The stone Galata Tower was built in 1348 as a defensive structure. Back then it was called the “Tower of Jesus.”

There were fortress walls all around, of which only ruins remain today. The walls protected the area from danger from the sea, but the tower could be approached by traders who wanted to make a deal with Byzantium. The tower received its current name after Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.

Functions

IN different times it performed various functions: a lighthouse for merchant ships, a fire tower, an observatory and even a prison. At the same time, the building was restored several times.

The last work was carried out in 1967: the dome of the tower was redone, elevators were erected, a restaurant was opened on one of the upper floors, and the wooden structures inside the tower were replaced with concrete ones.

What to see

The Galata Tower in Istanbul is very popular. The reason for this is the restaurant, nightclub and Observation deck. The tower has nine floors.

On the top floor of Galata, for a fee, you can beautiful photo dressed in national Turkish costume. The restaurant windows offer a luxurious view, which easily compensates for the low prices menu. On the ground floor of Galata there is a souvenir shop where you can buy various things as souvenirs.

Observation deck

From the observation deck, located at an altitude of 52 meters, you can see the whole of Istanbul, the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Golden Horn Bay. You can climb it by stairs, consisting of 143 steps, or by elevator. The site runs around the tower and is a small structure that is always crowded.

In addition, it is slightly tilted downward, which creates a feeling of instability. On the approaches to the tower there are masonry streets with steep ascents and descents.

How to get there

Galata Tower is located in the central part of the city. It can be reached in several ways. Take the tram to the Karakoy stop, and then walk up the stairs to Istiklal Street.

If you walk along this street, when you reach its end, you can turn right and end up in the square where the Galata Tower is located. From the Karakoy stop you can take the Tunel metro station and then walk to the Golden Horn Bay.

Galata Tower, along with Sultan's palaces, mosque minarets and bridges, can easily be considered a symbolic landmark of the city of Istanbul. When I hear a mention of Istanbul, fabulous pictures of the city flooded with sunset, the Bosphorus and the Galata Tower immediately pop up in my head.

A little history and facts about the Galata Tower

The Galata Tower rises above all of Istanbul in the district of the same name, as if looking down on the Bosphorus, Halic and the Sea of ​​Marmara. Its height is 61 meters, but due to the fact that it is located on a hill, from sea level to the observation deck is about 140 meters. Initially, the tower did not have a cone-shaped roof; it was completed in the 20th century during restoration work.

The first mention of the tower dates back to the 5th century AD: even then there was some kind of tower on this place. Nothing has survived from it to this day. The current Galata Tower was built as a defensive structure in the 14th century by the Genoese, who captured the Byzantine areas. They called it "Jesus Tower". Fortress walls were built around, and now you can see their ruins. The walls protected the area from danger from the sea, and traders who wanted to make a deal with Byzantium approached the tower. By the way, the tower received its modern name precisely after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. The first thing Mehmed the Conqueror did was to order the tower to be reduced by 6.8 meters. During the Ottoman period, the tower constantly changed its purpose: it was either a prison, a lighthouse, a barn, or a fire tower. During the reign of Murad III there was even an observatory here.

Interestingly, the Turkish inventor Ahmed Celebi Hezarfen, testing another new product, flew from the Galata Tower across the Bosphorus on artificial wings.

Now the tower houses a nightclub, a restaurant and a superb observation deck.

Observation deck on the Galata Tower

The picturesque observation deck of the Galata Tower can be reached by 143 steps or by elevator. Of course, we chose the second option. We were lucky, there wasn’t much of a queue, and literally 10 minutes later we were already rushing up in the elevator.

The Galatka Tower has an observation deck, a restaurant and even a nightclub. We didn’t come to the very top to eat, so we immediately went to the observation deck.


Honestly, I'm not afraid of heights... but then I became so scared. The platform runs around the tower and is a thin platform where a lot of people crowd. Everyone is walking somewhere, pushing, and the platform is also tilted slightly downward, which creates a feeling of instability. Overall, really scary.

The view, of course, is simply magical, so I asked him to shut up and went to take pictures.



Along the wall, along the wall, slowly, I am the most polite person in the world... let them climb if they are not afraid, but I’d rather carefully move away from the iron fence over the abyss.




And when you click, a wonderful panorama will open.

How to get there

The Galata Tower is located on the opposite side of Sultanahmet. You need to cross the Galata Bridge on foot (or take the T1 tram to the Karak?y stop), walk about 500 meters up.

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