Galata Tower, Istanbul – Rising from the Ruins
As I queued up to climb Galata Tower, dreaming of capturing the whole wide view of the city sprawled around it, some overheard conversations got me intrigued. A belief over the centuries has spun a legend around it. The belief is whoever you climb the tower with; you marry that person. So, today, the tradition is that people who believe they have found their true love queue up to climb the tower together.
But that isn’t the only reason this monument is a must-visit! Though the Genovese (people from Genoa) built the current structure in 1349 CE, the explorations have shown the foundations of the tower to be older than Constantinople. The area was an important settlement preceding Constantinople and perhaps dates back to the early Byzantine era.
Galata Tower – The Genesis
On the northern bank of the Golden Horn, atop a hill, Galata Tower is a towering medieval structure. Let me share the interesting history of how it came about. Earlier, the Genovese were on the southern bank of the Golden Horn since the 8th-century CE. But when the Latins took over the city, they displaced the Genovese to the northern bank. Once the Latins left in 1261 CE, the Genovese and the Venetians held the economic power in Istanbul, but the city was in shambles.
The Roman emperor permitted them to rebuild their city. After they had built their public buildings and got consular rights, the rival Venetians attacked their settlement in 1296 CE. This raid made Genovese keen to rebuild their demolished fortification walls, but they could not secure permission from the emperor. As a result, they had to settle for a moat.
Soon, the hold of the empire weakened over Istanbul, and the Genovese took advantage of that. They started building towers along the moat and connected them with each other by building a crenellated wall to help strengthen the defence of the Galata area. The tallest amongst those Genovese towers is the Galata Tower.
About Galata Tower
The tower is 66.9 metres tall. They built it as a watchtower. There are different theories regarding the name ‘Galata’. Italians believe the name comes from ‘calata’, meaning downward slope. According to Greeks, the etiology of ‘Galata’ is ‘galaktos’ (milk) as shepherds used the area in early medieval times or from ‘galat’, a Celtic tribe who occupied the area during the Hellenistic period.
Whatever be the origin of Galata, the tower is a must-climb during an Istanbul visit. It offers a glorious view of the Bosporus Strait and the Golden Horn. And the southern bank of the Golden Horn that houses the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Topkapi Palace. Don’t miss it when there!
