GALATA TOWER
The galata tower was built in1384it was the highpoint
in the city walls of the Genoese colony called Galata
During the first centuries of Ottoman era the Galata
tower was occupied by a detachment of Janissaries, the
elite corps of the Turkish Army. In the sisteenth century
the tower was used to house prisoners of war, who were
usualy consigned as galley slaves in the ottoman arsenal
at Kasimpasa on the golden horn.
During the reign of Selim 2nd (1566-1574) the Galata
Tower was used as an observation point by the renowed
Turkish astronomer Takiuddin, who had his main observatory
in Pera. In the following century, during the reign of
Mustafa 2nd (1695 - 1703) the seyhulislam Feyzulah efendi
tried to set up an astronomical observatory in the tower
with with the aid of a Jesuit priest, but the effort
was cut short when he was killed in 1703.
The Galata Tower was reconstructed on a number of occasions
in the Ottoman period, most notably, after a great fire
that destroyed much of Galata in 1794 (during the reign
of Selim III) and by Mahmut II in 1832. the tower's conical
cap was blown off during a storm in 1875, and it was
not replaced in the subsequent restoration. The tower
was used as a fire- control station until 1964, when
it was closed for restoratiom before being opened in
1967 as a tourist attraction. The conical cap was replaced
in this restoration, giving the tower much the same appearance
as it had in Genoese times, though retaining the changes
in fenestration and other structual aspects done in the
Ottoman period.
P.P. 55 EURO
*All above rates are per person and including transportations
from and to hotel, dinner, shows, drink.
