Galata Tower is one of the famous towers of Istanbul that stands out in the sky of Istanbul. This majestic stone tower is located in Istanbul’s European and Golden Horn districts, and its history dates back to the Byzantine Empire and the 14th century. Galata features two towers: one in the water and one on land.
But besides the Galata Tower, the Galata Bridge is also very famous. This bridge is located on the Golden Horn. Galata Bridge has passed a colorful history and has been renovated 5 times to date. By standing on the Galata Bridge, you can see the Asian side of Istanbul on one side and the European side of Istanbul on the other side.
History of Istanbul Galata Tower
It is believed that the Galata Tower was built in 1383 by order of the Byzantine Emperor as the first tower close to the sea.
In general, this tower was established as a public lighthouse, and it has remained intact since the Fourth Crusade until the present day. The funnel-shaped crown distinguishes this tower from others in Istanbul. The construction of this large cone on this tower is erected at a height of roughly 38 meters above the sea, and the overall height of the tower is 72 meters from the ground.
After the warriors left, the Genovese rebuilt this tower and named it Christea Turris, while the Byzantines named it Megalos Pyrgos.
This tower has served a variety of roles over the years, including military, civic, cultural, and lastly as a tourist attraction. However, during this lengthy period of time, the tower has suffered damage from events like fire and earthquakes, necessitating multiple renovations. The government completed the tower’s last significant refurbishment between 1965 and 1967.
The internal wooden area was replaced with a concrete structure as part of this repair, which also included work on the roof.
The tower was then reopened to the public as an attraction and now attracts a lot of local and international tourists each year.
Different parts of Istanbul Galata Tower
The nine-story Galata Tower stands 66.9 meters tall and is clearly visible from a great distance. The top floor of the Galata Tower is where a restaurant is located, and the interior is set up like a museum.
Next, we will talk about different parts of Galata Tower in Istanbul and what you can do while visiting it.
The Viewing Platform at The Galata Tower
One of the reasons why tourists go to the top of the Galata Tower is to see the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus Strait, the colorful houses, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the domes and garlands of the mosques. Therefore, when visiting the Galata Tower, one of the necessary things you should bring is a camera. This part of the tower is located on the Galata Tower restaurant and you can also watch the Galata Bridge from it. Listening to the sound of seagulls from this height is very beautiful. The architecture of Galata restaurant is completely in Turkish style and its decoration is designed in local style.
Galata Tower Entrance
In order to enter the Galata Tower in Istanbul, you have to climb several stone steps and after passing through the wooden door of the tower, enter the lobby or its ground floor. In order to climb this tower, there are exciting spiral stairs and for those who are not able to climb stairs, there are elevators that you can use these two elevators to take yourself to the top of Galata Tower.
Of course, you should know that the elevator of the tower goes up to the seventh floor and you have to go up the last two floors by stairs, which is not very difficult.
Galata Tower Restaurant and Cafe
According to what we said above, there is a restaurant in this tower where you can eat all kinds of Turkish food. The layout and architecture of this restaurant is reminiscent of Turkish culture and provides you with a good opportunity to have a good time there. The environment, good service and decoration of this restaurant is typical and in local style, and considering that Galata neighborhood is not one of the luxury neighborhoods of Istanbul, then you should not expect a luxury restaurant.
The kebabs of this restaurant are excellent and we recommend that you order them. The cost of eating in this restaurant is a bit high, but considering the quality of the food and the view that is available to you, it is worth paying for.
The attractions of Galata Tower in Istanbul
This magnificent tower has an observatory deck with a 360-degree view of Istanbul. At the entrance of this tower, there are 2 elevators to transport people to the top of the tower. In the highest part of the tower, there is Galata Cafe and Restaurant, where visitors can enjoy a beautiful view of Istanbul in addition to various Turkish dishes and breakfast.
There are shops for buying souvenirs at the entrance of the tower. Therefore, Galata Tower and Bridge, due to its eye-catching beauty, must be one of the tourist attractions of this city, which should be included in your Istanbul itinerary.
The Legend of Galata Tower
One of the most interesting legends among the legends of Galata Tower is called legendary love, which is also the oldest. According to this legend, the Romans believe that if a man and a woman go to Galata Tower for the first time and look at Istanbul from the top of this tower, they will definitely get married.
But if one of the couples has already gone to the top of the tower, this spell will be broken and they will not married. If you are involved in a legendary love, you must visit this tower.
Access to Galata Tower in Istanbul
Galata Tower is located in Istanbul’s Beyoglu neighborhood, which has become one of the most attractive tourist areas in Istanbul with its street shops and cafes. Galata Tower, Taksim Square and Esteghlal Street are all located in this area and you can reach this tower after walking on Esteghlal Street and looking at its attractive shops and go up to it by elevator or stairs.
Also, to reach this tower, which is located at the end of Esteghlal Street, you can reach it by both metro and tram.
Attractions near Galata Tower
When you travel to a new city or country, you certainly have a limited amount of time to be able to visit all the sights in that area well and easily. This shows that you should first know the sights you want and then visit them with a precise and correct plan. Accordingly, in the following, we introduce the important tourist attractions around Galata Tower in Istanbul, which are:
Galata Dervish Monastery, Topkapi Palace Museum, The Basilica of St. Anthony, Dolmabahçe Palace, Madame Tussauds, Basilica Cistern, Esteghlal Street, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Galata Bridge, Bocoleon Palace, Pera Museum, The Museum of Innocence, Turkish Jewish Museum, Grand Bazaar, Sulaymaniyah Mosque.
Hotels near Galata Tower, Istanbul
When you travel to Istanbul, you must first find a suitable accommodation, not having a suitable place to rest can make your whole trip bitter; therefore, first think about booking a suitable hotel for yourself. The hotels you choose for booking should have good access to historical attractions and various sightseeing and touristic places.
Therefore, the hotels that are close to the Galata Castle can be suitable options for easier access to this attraction and the sights around it, including the 4-star Anemon Galata, 13 meters away from the Galata Tower, Aparthotel Istanbul, 14 meters away, Galata Tower Vip Apartment Suites is 54 meters away, By Murat Galata is 78 meters away, Duo Galata is 89 meters away, and Mesto Hotel Galata is 136 meters away.
