Everyone probably knows about the magnificent grand buildings, palaces and mosques in Istanbul, the former ancient capital of Turkey, and the herald of all the incredible events that took place here during the reign of the sultans. And in this post — and in the next few — we will take you through some of the most incredible sights, through my visit to Istanbul. After our arrival by car across the border from the European side, into Turkey, we headed to the Antalya region, which is located almost at the other end of the country, in the Asian part. On this road, we also had to cross the bridge that connects the European and Asian parts. This is such an interesting event, but it is also a very long way, so it would be a sin not to look into Istanbul during this trip to finally see one of the most legendary cities in Turkey. So we arrived, rented an apartment, and the next day we went hunting (for beautiful architecture). In fact, our first apartment experience in Istanbul was terrible, the owners were rude to us, the apartment was dirty, the dishes were not washed. Also, since Airbnb is supposedly prohibited there, the owners let us into the apartment without giving us the password to the door, and forbade us to leave the complex to buy food. The next day we moved to a different complex, with an official reception, good parking. They gave us the key and we were upgraded to a perfectly clean apartment, with a nice design. And after that we went to explore.
After leaving, we started to climb up the street. It was decorated with beautiful tall multi-colored houses on both sides. These colors are fascinating. Their facades are a palette of colors that have survived more than one era: rich blue, honey yellow, muted green, burnt terracotta. Climbing the sloping streets of Istanbul was a real test and struggle. It was already November, and it was neither hot nor cold, perfect weather for a walk. But when we climbed higher up the hill, as I remember, it was hot. We were out of breath as we climbed.
While walking, we enjoyed the fascination of the environment. The tall buildings on the sloping street are a real Turkish vibe. A bunch of cars honking because someone was late for a second, motorcycles. There are many sellers on the streets who urge you to buy something from them. The buildings are like walls, solid, they look so cozy, retro. The high-rise buildings, tightly squeezed together, add a sense of camaraderie. This is the whole life of people. The bricks protruding from the facade add texture and detail, and their own sophistication. With all the frames, they create their own style. The balconies are narrow, with thin wrought iron grilles, so elegant, as if from a French film. Each of them has its own life. Someone has a pot of flowers on their balcony, someone has a shirt drying. The windows have wooden frames, somewhere lace curtains, somewhere just emptiness. But everywhere there is an atmosphere. This style is something between old European chic and oriental warmth. Not perfect, not glossy, but alive. It charms with its imperfection. Going further up the street, it was a little dangerous to cross the street with this traffic. Going further down the street, looking around. There were a lot of people, and we climbed the crooked streets higher and higher. And here we came to the first attraction of all that we planned to visit during this visit.
And then, out of nowhere, it towered over us.
It was the Galata Tower. This beautiful tower has been standing here for over half a century! It was built as a watchtower at the highest point of the Galata walls, most of which are now destroyed. It is one of the oldest towers in the world. The Galata Tower was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. The history of this Tower is long and interesting, but a bit confusing.
Historical facts in this post were compiled from multiple online sources including Wikipedia, local tour guides, and official tourist plaques at the site.
The Galata Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 507-508 AD. The ancient Galata Tower was called "Megalos Pyrgos", which means "Great Tower", and was located on the northern shore of the Golden Horn in Istanbul, within the Galata Citadel. Few people know this, but the Golden Horn is a river that separates the old part of Istanbul from the new. It flows to the left of the Bosphorus, and then splits into two "horns".
At that time, the tower marked the northern end of a large chain that stretched across the mouth of the Golden Horn to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbor. The tower contained a mechanism for raising and lowering the chain. It was not just a tower - it was the key to the city. From here, a heavy iron chain stretched across the bay to the opposite shore.
When an enemy fleet appeared on the horizon, the chain would rise like an iron trap. No ship could pass without crossing Megalos Pyrgos. But be careful, this tower should not be confused with the current Galata Tower, which still stands at the northernmost and highest point of the Galata citadel.
I had no idea, and I had previously thought it was the same tower. But after further searching on the Internet, I realized that the old tower was a completely different structure, long gone. They were built by different people, in two different places, for different, but at the same time fascinating and important purposes. Here's how it happened: previously, the first tower stood by the bay and served its function well. But then misfortune struck. In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, it was not Arabs or Persians who approached the city, but Western Christians. The Latin crusaders, having deceived themselves, plundered Holy Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire fell. Megalos Pyrgos, like many other towers and walls, was damaged. The city was weakened. The chain was no longer lifted so confidently. In 1267, the Byzantine Empire was revived, but weakened. The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos allowed the Genoese, powerful Italian merchants, to settle in the Galata region, opposite Constantinople. The Genoese quickly consolidated their position.
But they did not restore the damaged ancient Megalos Pyrgos. It remained a silent ruin by the water—its historical role was over. Instead, higher up the hill, they built a tall, massive stone tower and called it Christea Turris—the Tower of Christ. It was a completely different story: no longer protection by chain, but domination by height. The tower became part of the new Genoese fortress. It silently watched every movement of the imperial capital.
But no empire lasts forever. In 1453, the troops of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror arrived in the city. Artillery, new tactics, a furious assault - and Constantinople fell. This was the beginning of the Ottoman era. The famous Magnificent Century, with which everyone is familiar. Christea Turris - the Galata Tower - was not destroyed. The Ottomans saw this as an advantage. The tower became a fire watch, a prison, a lighthouse, and later - a legend. It was the site of one of the most incredible feats and craziest experiments. In the 17th century, according to legend, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi jumped from its top and flew over the Bosphorus, using wings of his own invention. Overcoming the distance, courageously and decisively, he covered several kilometers thanks to his homemade wings and the power of the wind. It is simply incredible.
Here it's demonstrated the route Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi probably followed
A truly fascinating story of an unusual tower. Also, it seems to me that the name of the Turkish football team Galatasaray, which translates as Galata Palace, comes from this place and this story. They were also founded in Istanbul, where all these events used to take place (Istanbul was founded on the site of Constantinople). The tower itself is very interesting, with a beautiful metal roof on top of which there is a golden top. About ten beautifully carved windows. The shape of the tower with its construction looks very laconic. All these features give it a very fairy-tale look. Like that tower in the forest from the fairy tale Rapunzel. It is quite high - 67 meters. Now there is an opportunity for those who wish to go inside it. Although we decided not to go to the top, since we were in a hurry to other places. But as I saw from the photo, there is a very interesting and narrow passage with stairs, so if you visit this tower, try to go inside. By the way, these stairs were destroyed several times during fires.
After looking at this Tower, we walked a little further and came out onto the main tourist street of Istanbul. Its name is Istiklal Caddesi. The beautiful houses around are amazing. There were a lot of people there, so many that there was no living space on the street. They all wanted to take pictures near the tower, since the street from a perfect angle looked directly at it. ( Photos featured upper)
This street is also partly popular for this cool view. You can see it everywhere when you search for this tower on the internet. The view is really very photogenic, with the architecture of the street itself on the sides, the green ivy on top, and this magical tower right in the middle. This street is also very interesting and a little dangerous, because every few minutes in the middle, on the laid rails, a small red tram runs.
It is probably one of the main attractions on this street, because it fits in nicely with the surroundings and allows you to explore without getting tired of walking. The houses on the sides of the main street look really chic. There are a lot of ice cream vendors around, trying to pull you in by holding out their sticks. Some naughty people, not wanting to pay for the tram fare, cling to it from the outside 🤫.
Walking down the main street, girls approached us and told us that they had a school project and they had to ask foreign women "Arranged marriage or love marriage". It was very interesting, this had never happened to us before. We took a selfie with them.
The street is full of life, beautiful architecture and shops. After that, we went down the street, and further in search of other interesting places. But since this tower with its history deserved a separate post, look for the next ones in my next posts.
Bye bye everyone! 🌇🏛️