Maiden's Tower, star of Istanbul Strait, reopens to visitors

Istanbul's iconic Maiden's Tower has reopened its doors to visitors after a two-year restoration.

The occasion was marked with a special light and laser show on Thursday evening, which featured one of the landmark’s legends: the love story between the Maiden's Tower and Galata Tower.

The renovation of the tower, whose history dates back to 410 BC, was carried out by Professor Dr Feridun Cili, Professor Dr Zeynep Ahunbay and the architect Han Tumertekin, who won the Aga Khan Architecture Award.

It will continue to serve as a memorial museum for visitors from near and far to come and view the city from the tower’s unique perspective.

Over the course of many years, numerous legends have added to the fame of the tower. Here’s a brief history of the landmark that has adorned the strait of Istanbul for centuries:

Construction of the tower

In 1110, Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus built a wooden tower with a stone wall where the Maiden's Tower is today.

Following the Ottomans' conquest of Istanbul, the tower was demolished and replaced with a wooden building that was subsequently destroyed by an earthquake in 1509 and a fire in 1721.

In 1725, Istanbul's chief architect, Nevsehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasa, reconstructed the tower using stone. Later on, a glass kiosk and a lead-coated dome were installed.

After 1829, the tower was used as a quarantine station during the cholera epidemic, and in 1832 it was restored by Sultan Mahmud II. Sultan's signature was engraved on a marble slab by the renowned calligrapher Rakim Efendi.

Three main legends

There have been several legendary stories told about the tower but the most well-known Turkish legend goes:

An emperor adored his daughter greatly but a prophecy foretold that on her 18th birthday she would meet her demise from the bite of a poisonous snake.

To protect his daughter, the emperor built a tower in the middle of the sea, away from the mainland and therefore away from any snakes. She resided in her tower with her only visitor being her father.

On her 18th birthday, the emperor brought the princess a basket filled with exotic fruits, believing he had successfully averted the prophecy. But, an asp hidden among the fruits bit her, killing her in her father's arms.

Thus, the tower came to be called the Maiden's Tower.

An alternative name for the tower was Leander's Tower, which comes from the Ancient Greek myth of Hero and Leander, another story about a maiden.

According to that legend, a young man named Leandros fell in love with a nun named Hero, who lived in the tower. Every night, Hero lit a fire as a signal to guide her lover to the islet.

But one stormy winter night, the breezes blew out Hero's light and Leandros lost his way in the dark and drowned in the strait. Hero was devastated by the loss of her lover and took her own life.

And yet a third legend says there is a love story between the two iconic towers of Istanbul: Maiden's Tower and Galata Tower.

Located on two separate continents, Asia and Europe, the legend says that these two towers have always been in love with each other, however, their union is impossible since the Strait separates them.

Restoration efforts

The tower's last restoration was conducted between 1999-2000.

During the latest renovation, the team discovered that the tower was damaged due to sea salts and other chemicals and that the carrier columns and beams were not connected.

The main historical walls of the building were strengthened with invisible braces made of stainless steel and the original walls of the castle section were revealed. The original wall and dome were recreated with wooden carriers on the balcony floor frame.

As a result of the restoration, new spaces were created where visitors can walk around the wooden twitch terrace in the courtyard. They can also climb the stairs to the tower and gaze out at the Istanbul Strait.

In addition, steel-concrete integrated piles were built around the island to protect the structure from a possible earthquake and surrounding areas around the building were strengthened with reinforced concrete support beams.

You can visit the tower free of charge until the end of May, including free transportation. As of June 1, a museum card or ticket will be mandatory for visitors.

Detailed information about the Maiden's Tower and all the reports about the restoration work can be accessed on the official website.

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