Jump to content

Galata Tower

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Galata Tower
Galata Kulesi
Galata Tower (February 2020)
Map
Former namesChristea Turris (Tower of Christ)
General information
Type
  • Touristic building
  • museum
  • exhibition place

Architectural styleRomanesque
LocationIstanbul, Turkey
Coordinates41°1′32.36″N 28°58′26.96″E / 41.0256556°N 28.9741556°E / 41.0256556; 28.9741556
Completed1348; 676 years ago (1348)
Renovated
  • 1453
  • 1510
  • 1794
  • 1832
  • 1875
  • 1965-1967
  • 1999-2000
  • 2020
OwnerDirectorate General of Foundations
Height
Architectural62.59 m (205 ft)
Top floor40.04 m (131 ft)
Dimensions
DiameterInterior: 8.95 m (29.4 ft)
Exterior: 16.45 m (54.0 ft)
Technical details
Structural systemMasonry
MaterialStone
Floor count11 (including the basement, the ground floor and the mezzanine)
Lifts/elevators2
Grounds208 m2 (2,240 sq ft)

The Galata Tower (Turkish: Galata Kulesi), officially the Galata Tower Museum (Turkish: Galata Kulesi Müzesi), is a medieval Genoese tower built in 1348 at the northern apex of the citadel of Galata, the modern Karaköy quarter within the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed as a watchtower with the name Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) at the highest point of the Walls of Galata, which were mostly demolished in the 19th century, but small portions still survive.[1] The construction of the tower began a few months after the Black Death reached Constantinople and Galata in the summer of 1347.[2] During the pandemic, it was used for surveilling the entrances and exits to and from the citadel of Galata. Its use as an observation tower continued during the Ottoman period. Today, Galata Tower is a museum and exhibition centre, with an observation deck that offers panoramic views of the city. It is among the symbols of Beyoğlu and Istanbul.

History[edit]

The East Roman emperor Justinian the Great (r. 527–565) had a tower erected in what was to become Galata. This tower, which controlled the northern part of the chain that blocked the entrance of the Golden Horn, was destroyed by the Crusaders during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204.

In 1267, as stipulated by the Treaty of Nymphaeum (1261) which had initiated a Byzantine-Genoese alliance six years earlier, a Genoese colony was established in the citadel of Galata, on the northern shore of the Golden Horn, across Constantinople on the southern shore. Designed in Romanesque style,[3][4] the present-day Galata Tower was built in 1348 at the northern apex of the Walls of Galata, with the name Christea Turris (Tower of Christ), a few months after the Black Death pandemic reached Constantinople and Galata in the summer of 1347.[2] During the pandemic, the tower was used for observing the entrances and exits to and from the citadel of Galata. In that period, Galata Tower was the tallest building in the city, with a height of 219.5 ft (66.9 m).[5]

After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Genoese colony was abolished and most of the walls of the citadel were later pulled down in the 19th century, during the northward expansion of the city in the districts of Beyoğlu and Beşiktaş; though small parts of the Genoese walls in Galata have survived.[6][7][8] The Galata Tower was preserved and was initially turned into a prison. It was from its roof that, in 1638, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi supposedly strapped on wings and made the first intercontinental flight, landing at Doğancılar Square in Üsküdar on the Asian side of the city, a story of doubtful authenticity recounted by the Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Çelebi.

From 1717, the Ottomans used Galata Tower to look out for fires (on the Old Istanbul side of the city the Beyazıt Tower served the same function). In 1794, during the reign of Sultan Selim III, the roof was reinforced in lead and wood, but the stairs were severely damaged by a fire. Another fire damaged the building in 1831, after which further restoration work took place.

In 1875, the tower's conical roof was destroyed during a storm.[9][10] It remained without this roof for the rest of the Ottoman period. Ninety years later, during the restoration works between 1965 and 1967, the conical roof was reconstructed.[9][10] At the same time the tower's wooden interior was replaced with a concrete structure and it was opened to the public.[11][12]

In 2020, the tower was reopened as a museum after being extensively restored.[13] Galata Tower is mainly popular today for the 360-degree panoramic views of Istanbul that it offers from its observation deck.

Panoramic view from the observation deck of Galata Tower during the late Ottoman period
View of the Golden Horn and the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu) from Galata Tower

Dimensions[edit]

The nine-story tower is 62.59 m (205.3 ft) excluding the ornament on the top. The observation deck is at 51.65 m (169.5 ft). The tower is 61 m (200 ft) above sea-level. It has an external diameter of 16.45 m (54.0 ft) at the base, an inside diameter of 8.95 m (29.4 ft), and walls that are 3.75 m (12.3 ft) thick.

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Galata Tower and the Walls of Galata". Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Byrne JP (2012). "Constantinople/Istanbul". Encyclopedia of the Black Death. Santa Barbara, California.: ABC-CLIO. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-59884-254-8. OCLC 769344478.
  3. ^ "Galata Kulesi hikayesi" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. ^ "MİMARİ'DE TARZ ve ÜSLUP ÖRNEKLEMELERİ" (in Turkish). İREN ELÇİSOY ARCHITECTURE. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  5. ^ Katie Hallam (2009). The Traveler's Atlas: Europe. London: Barron's Educational Series.(2009), p. 118-119.
  6. ^ "Galata Tower and the Walls of Galata". www.thebyzantinelegacy.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Mural Slabs from Genoese Galata". www.thebyzantinelegacy.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Cenevizlilerden kalan son sur kalıntıları yok olmak üzere". dha.com.tr. 7 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Time Out Istanbul: "Galata Kulesi'nin eski fotoğraflarda neden farklı göründüğünü merak ettiniz mi?"". Archived from the original on 11 February 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b Galatakulesi.org: "Galata Kulesi: Kısa Tarihçe" Archived 2014-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Raikwar, Abhishek. "Galata Tower Inside: A Visual Tour of Its Magnificent Decor". galata-tower.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. ^ "İSTANBUL Galata Tower Museum | Turkish Museums".
  13. ^ "Istanbul’s iconic tower reopens after restoration", Hurriyet Daily News, 7 October 2020. (Retrieved 27 November 2022.)

Further reading[edit]

  • Arseven, Celal Esat (1989). Eski Galata ve Binaları (in Turkish) (with new letters ed.). Istanbul: Çelik Gülersoy Vakfı İstanbul Kütüphanesi Yayınları. ISBN 9757512044.
  • Bilginer, Recep (April 1959). "Galata Kulesi". İETT Dergisi (in Turkish). No. 31. pp. 26–27.
  • Demiröz, Yasin; Acarkan, Bora (2016). Tarihi yapılarda dış cephe aydınlatması ve Galata Kulesi uygulaması (PDF). Elektrik, Elektronik ve Biyomedikal Mühendisliği Konferansı (in Turkish). Bursa. pp. 110–114.
  • Gündüz, Doğan (June 2004). "Galata Kulesi'ndeki saatleri ayarlama küresi". Toplumsal Tarih (in Turkish). No. 126.
  • Erkins, Ziya (1970). Galata Kulesi (in Turkish). Istanbul: Yörük Matbaası.
  • Galata Kulesi ve Çevresi Bölge Düzenleme Projesi (in Turkish). Istanbul: Beyoğlu Belediye Başkanlığı Yayınları. 1988.
  • "Artık bizim de bir Eiffel'imiz var: Galata Kulesi". Hayat (in Turkish). No. 27. 26 June 1969. pp. 16–17.
  • "Fener... Zindan... Yangın kulesi... Şimdi de turistik tesis: Galata Kulesi". Hayat (in Turkish). No. 39. 23 September 1965. pp. 16–17.
  • Arifoğlu, Nergiz (19 March 2018). "Galata Kulesi'nin aydınlatma tasarımı süreçleri" (in Turkish). Kaynak Elektrik. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galata Tower.
Retrieved from "https://en.luquay.com/w/index.php?title=Galata_Tower&oldid=1229663314"