Maiden's Tower

Coordinates: 41°01′16.2″N 29°00′15.3″E / 41.021167°N 29.004250°E / 41.021167; 29.004250
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Maiden's Tower, Istanbul
)

The Maiden's Tower
Kız Kulesi
Seen from Üsküdar
Map
General information
TypeObservation tower
Broadcasting tower
LocationBosporus, Istanbul, Turkey
Coordinates41°01′16.2″N 29°00′15.3″E / 41.021167°N 29.004250°E / 41.021167; 29.004250
Construction started1110
Completed1725
Opening1725
OwnerCity of Istanbul, Turkey
ManagementMinistry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey)
Technical details
Floor count5[1]
Lifts/elevators1[1]
Website
kizkulesi.gov.tr
Map
References
[1] "Maiden's Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021.
Maiden's Tower and the Seraglio Point
Bosphorus
Bosphorus, with the Seraglio Point
in the background
Maiden's Tower on the reverse of the 10 lira banknote (1966–1981)

The Maiden's Tower (

Bosphorus strait, 200 m (220 yd) from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey
.

The tower appeared on the reverse of the Turkish 10 lira banknote from 1966 to 1981.[2]

History

After the naval victory at Cyzicus, in 408 BC the Athenian general Alcibiades probably built a custom station for ships coming from the Black Sea on a small rock called Arcla (small castle) and Damialis (its calf) in front of Chrysopolis (today's Üsküdar).[3]

In 1110

Mehmed the Conqueror.[3]

The tower was destroyed during the

earthquake of 1509, rebuilt, and then burned down in 1721.[3] Reconstruction was ordered by the grand vizier Damad Ibrahim Pasha and the new building was used as a lighthouse; the surrounding walls were repaired in 1731 and 1734. Then in 1763 the tower was reconstructed in more durable stone.[3] From 1829 it was used as a quarantine station before being restored again by Sultan Mahmud II in 1832.[3] In 1945 it was the turn of the harbour authority to patch it up.[3] Then in 1998 it was restored again, shortly before appearing in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough
.

After the 17 August 1999 earthquake and tsunami in the Sea of Marmara steel supports were added to the tower to strengthen it.[4] The interior was converted into a café and restaurant, with views of the former Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman capital at Sarayburnu.[5] Private boats ply back and forth between the tower and the shore throughout the day.[6]

In 2021 work on restoring the tower yet again . The work was completed in 2023 and the tower reopened to the public in May of that year.[2]

Origin of the name

There are several stories about the tower's name. According to one of them, an

asp that had been hiding among the fruit bit the princess who died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted, hence the name Maiden's Tower.[7]

The tower's alternative name, Leander's Tower (

Bosphorus, Leander's story somehow came to be attached to the tower too.[8]

In popular culture

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ a b "Maiden's Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021.
  2. ^ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Archived 15 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Banknote Museum: 6. Emission Group - Ten Turkish Lira - I. Series Archived 2009-04-17 at the Wayback Machine & II. Series Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Müller-Wiener (1976), p. 334
  4. ^ "Maiden's Tower official website: Restoration".
  5. ^ "Maiden's Tower official website: Photo gallery".
  6. ^ "Maiden's Tower official website: Timetable of boat transfers to the tower".
  7. ^ "Maiden's Tower". The Byzantine Legacy. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Maidens Tower - All About Istanbul". www.allaboutistanbul.com. Retrieved 18 June 2022.

Sources

External links