Galata Tower

갈라타 탑

A 62.6 m medieval stone tower raised by the Genoese in 1348 as the 'Tower of Christ' above Galata; its conical cap and panoramic gallery crown Istanbul's skyline across the Golden Horn.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Türkiye
Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
Built: 1348
Height: 63 m
Type: Tower

Quick answers

Where is Galata Tower?

Galata Tower is in Istanbul, Türkiye.

When was Galata Tower built?

Galata Tower was built in 1348.

How tall is Galata Tower?

Galata Tower is about 63 m tall.

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone tower in the Galata area of Istanbul, Turkey. It was built by the Genoese, traders from Italy, in 1348 and was first called the Tower of Christ. It was a watchtower at the highest point of the walls of their colony, and it is now a museum and one of the best-known symbols of Istanbul.

Its cone-shaped cap and the viewing gallery near the top rise above the Golden Horn, the inlet that separates the old city from Galata. When it was built it was the tallest building in the city, and today people climb it for a view of the whole skyline.

History

Genoese merchants set up a colony in Galata in 1267, surrounded it with walls, and built the tower in 1348 as part of an expansion. After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 the colony ended and most walls were later torn down, but the tower was kept. It served as a prison and, from 1717, as a lookout for fires. Fires and storms damaged it several times, and it was repaired again and again.

The flying legend

A famous story says that in 1638 Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi strapped on wings, jumped from the tower and glided across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city. Historians doubt that it really happened, so it is better thought of as a legend. The tower's height is given differently in different sources: Wikipedia gives about 67 meters for the original, while other sources give around 63 meters.

Fun facts

Legend says Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi flew from it across the Bosphorus on artificial wings in the 1600s.
It was first called the Tower of Christ, or Christea Turris.
It was the tallest building in the city when it was finished.
Legend says Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi flew from it in 1638, but historians doubt the story.