Turkey Guide
İstanbul
The Galata Tower
Address: Galata, just north of the Golden Horn
Opening time: Daily 9am–8pm
Price: 8YTL
Built in 1349 by the Genoese, the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) sits on the site of a former tower constructed by Justinian in 528. Originally known as the Tower of Christ, it stood at the apex of the several sets of fortifications that surrounded the Genoese city-state. It has had a number of functions over the centuries, including a jail, a fire tower and even a springboard for early adventurers attempting to fly. Nowadays, there's a restaurant on the top floor.
At 61m high, the tower's viewing gallery – reached by elevator – offers magnificent panoramas of the city and views across the Sea of Marmara and Golden Horn. The best view of Eminönü in particular is from here: the boats that nudge in and out of the ferry terminal form a foreground to the skyline of Beyazit and Sultanahmet, with Yeni Cami directly below Nuruosmaniye, the Spice Bazaar below Beyazit Camii and Rüstem Paşa Camii below the Beyazit fire tower.