Overview

An iconic landmark on Istanbul’s skyline, the Maiden’s Tower includes a rich history dating back to the fourth century, furthermore as some legends adding to its fame. Located on a little islet off the Asian side of Istanbul, the tower has an intriguing background worth exploring.

Once a watch-out tower, the Maiden’s Tower today is a restaurant and restaurant during day-time, and as a non-public restaurant within the evenings. It also hosts style of special invitations and organizations like weddings, meetings, launches and business meals.

History of Maiden’s Tower

According to the historians, a land piece has been detached from the from the Asian coasts and an islet was formed. And it's believed that a tower the Athenian commander Alkibiades built a tower on this islet around 340 B.C. to manage the ships, and collect taxes, at the doorway of the Bosphorus.

A monumental tomb on marble columns was inbuilt 341 B.C., by the Greek Commander Chares on the islet, for his wife.

During the Roman period in 1110s, the primary distinctive tower on the islet was built by Emperor Manuel Comnenos. During the years 1143 and 1178, two towers was built by the Emperor Manuel to defend the town. one in all them was on the islet, and also the other was was on the beach area of the Topkapi Palace. And there had been a series tied between the 2 towers to forestall enemy ships enter the Bosphorus, and merchant ships passing without tax.

During the Byzantium period, the tower on the islet had been ruined and repaired from time to time, and used as a base by the Venetians during the conquest of Istanbul. It had been a base for the fleet from Venice to assist Byzantine while Fatih Sultan Mehmed was invading town.

After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, Fatih Sultan Mehmed demolished the tiny castle here and built a brand new small castle that was manufactured from stone and placed cannons.

The foundations of today’s Maiden’s tower are from the Fatih Sultan Mehmed period. it's also known that the tower had been repaired or reconstructed during the Ottoman period.

In the 17th century, a lighthouse has been placed on the islet because of the shallow waters around. And it began to function a lighthouse since then.

In the years 1830-1831, the tower had changed into a quarantine hospital thanks to cholera to forestall the plague not spread into town. Later within the years 1836-1837, about 30 thousand people died from an epidemic, and a few of the patients had been isolated in an exceedingly small hospital that was established here on the islet.

Maiden’s Tower has gained its present shape within the kind of Ottoman-baroque architecture after the large restoration in 1833. And a replacement lighthouse was in-built 1857 by a French company.

The tower today is a restaurant and restaurant during the day, and as a personal restaurant within the evenings.

Maiden’s Tower also has three legends coming from the traditional Greek, Byzantium and Ottomans era.

Maiden’s Tower Legends

There are several myths and legends related to the tower. The Leander’s Tower legend or The Lovers of Maiden’s Tower tells of two starcrossed lover; a priestess of Aphrodite named Hero, and a young man named Leander. They fell dotty and every night, Leander would swim from the mainland to the island to work out Hero, who would light a fireplace within the top of the tower to guide his way. One treacherous night, the wind blew out her light, so Leander lost his way and drowned. When his body washed to the tower, Hero decided she couldn’t be apart, and took her own life to be with him.

Another myth tells of a Byzantine Princess, whom an oracle had foretold would be bitten by a serpent and die before she turned 18. Terrified, the Emperor (her doting father) sent her to the tower to guard her until she turned 18. Celebrating this birthday, her father visited her bearing a basket of fruit, but unbeknownst to him, a serpent lay concealed within and bit her, causing the tragic prophecy to return true.

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