Legendary Medieval Aged of Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is a medieval aged tower in the Galata Quarter of Istanbul, Turkey. It is a marvelous amalgamation of east Roman, Genoese, and Ottoman characteristics. The varied influences of these empires can be seen in their myriad architecture. Among the many towers in Istanbul, the Galata is undoubtedly the oldest and most iconic one. The tower is 219 ft high, cone-capped, and cylindrical; with a total of nine stories, which made it the city’s tallest structure when it was built. The birth of Galata Tower Istanbul is shrouded in mystery as there are 2 varied theories. By the first theory, the Byzantium Emperor Justinian built the tower as a lighthouse in 527 A.D. In 1348, the Genoese Colony arrived and rebuilt the monument inside the Galata city walls for protection from the invaders. The Galata Tower provided excellent surveillance from inside the walls of the city and had crucial military importance. It was also later used as a fire detection tower during the Ottoman Empire before it was converted into a prison during the rule of Sultan Suleiman ‘The Magnificent’. A famous story of the Galata Tower revolves around the legendary Ottoman aviator Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi. According to stories Hezârfen Çelebi attached wooden wings to his arms and flew from the top of the tower to Doğancılar Square in Üsküdar with wings attached to his arms. This extraordinary feat made the then Sultan Murad Khan very suspicious of the man which resulted in him being sent to exile in Algeria. The story of Hezârfen Çelebi's extraordinary feat has been passed down through generations in Istanbul and is now a popular backstory to the Galata Tower.#awesomepic #galatatower #istanbulturkey #europeistanbul #legendarytower #antique #touristanbul