Restored 14th-century tower and former prison overlooking the Bosphorus with a top-floor restaurant.
Galata Tower has dominated Beyoğlu’s skyline since 1348 and still offers the best panoramic views of the city. Above, the Golden Horn, Seraglio Point and Old Istanbul as seen from Galata Tower (looking south).
Originally named the Tower of Christ, the 66.9-meter (220-foot)-high tower was the highpoint in the city walls of the Genoese colony called Galata. Most of the walls are long gone, but the great tower , with its 3.75-meter (12-foot)-thick walls remains.
The story is told of how, in 1638, a certain Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi attached wings to his body and flew (more likely coasted) across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar.
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