Galata Tower

Galata Tower, one of the symbolic structures of Istanbul, was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianos in 507 – 508 AD. The structure, which was built with a different purpose and dimensions than the tower today, used as a watchtower and lighthouse.

The Galata Tower, with its known shape today, was built by the Genoese, who controlled the Pera region during the Byzantine Empire, in 1348-1349.
In 1509, during the great earthquake in Istanbul, which historians refer to as a small apocalypse, the tower was significantly damaged. After this great disaster, it was rebuilt by Murad bin Hayrettin, the architect of Sultan Beyazit II.

This historic tower, which has stood for centuries, underwent various restorations despite suffering damage from earthquakes and fires throughout history and during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, its top was covered with the famous conical roof.

The tower, which underwent a comprehensive repair in 1967, was subjected to a detailed restoration in 2020. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013 and serving as an indispensable motif of Istanbul’s skyline, the structure also holds a special place in world aviation history.
In 1632, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi flew from Galata Tower with a wing-like vehicle, glided 3358 meters over the Bosphorus and landed in Doğancılar Square in Üsküdar.
In recognition of this achievement, Murad IV, the Ottoman Sultan of the time, gifted him a bag of gold.

This success of Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi inspired many explorers and adventurers in the future.