The nine-story tower is 66.90 meters tall (62.59 m without the ornament on top, 51.65 m at the observation deck), and was the city’s tallest structure when it was built. The elevation at ground level is 35 meters above sea-level. The tower has an external diameter of 16.45 meters at the base, and 8.95 meters diameter inside, and walls that are 3.75 meters thick.There is a restaurant and café on its upper floors which command a magnificent view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. Also located on the upper floors is a night club which hosts a Turkish show. There are two operating elevators that carry visitors from the lower level to the upper levels.
History
Galata Tower was built as Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. The Galata Tower was the tallest building in Istanbul at 219½ feet (66.9 m) when it was built in 1348. It was the apex of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata. The current tower should not be confused with the old Tower of Galata, an original Byzantine tower named Megalos Pyrgos (English: Great Tower) which controlled the northern end of the massive sea chain that closed the entrance to the Golden Horn. That tower was on a different site and was largely destroyed in 1203, during the Fourth Crusade of 1202–1204.
The upper section of the tower with the conical cap was slightly modified in several restorations during the Ottoman Empire when it was used as an observation tower for spotting fires.
According to the Seyahatname of Ottoman historian and traveller Evliya Çelebi, in circa 1630-1632, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew as an early intercontinental aviator using artificial wings for gliding from this tower over the Bosphorus to the slopes of Üsküdar on the Anatolian side, nearly six kilometres away. Evliyâ Çelebi also tells of Hezarfen’s brother, Lagari Hasan Çelebi, performing the first flight with a rocket in a conical cage filled with gunpowder in 1633.
Starting from 1717 the Ottomans began to use the tower for spotting fires in the city. In 1794, during the reign of Sultan Selim III, the roof of the tower made of lead and wood, and the stairs were severely damaged by a fire. Another fire damaged the building in 1831, upon which a new restoration work took place.
In 1875, during a storm, the conic roof on the top of the building was destroyed. The tower remained without this conic roof for the rest of the Ottoman period. Many years later, in 1965-1967, during the Turkish Republic, the original conical cap was restored. During this final restoration in the 1960s, the wooden interior of the tower was replaced by a concrete structure and it was commercialized and opened to the public.
From the top of the tower, the first French panorama painter Pierre Prévost drew in 1818 his “Panorama de Constantinople” which was later exposed in Paris in 1825.
Although there may be a queue it is worth the wait to see spectacular views of Istanbul. For 13TL you will go in a lift almost to the top but then you need to walk up approx 2 flights of steps. Unfortunately it is very crowded and many people insist on pushing to get the best view.
Fundumental historical place with great history..old and tall like a grandfather with huge experience. If you will come upstairs, on the top – you will see one of the best view to Bosphorus and all heart of Istanbul which will never erased from your mind!
To get to the tower you will have to navigate some steep streets with a lot of shops and restauarnats lined up and all around the place, restaurants are waiting for the hungry and thirsty traveller.
This in itself means that there are thousands of tourists wandering to the tower and since the sunset is described in literally all travel…
Spectacular view – we went at night so it was great to see the Bosphorous and the city all lit up for the evening. Skip having dinner there – it's overpriced.
I really wanted to visit the Galata tower.
Worth it, as the view is as good as there is in Istanbul. it isa big time attraction so prepare for lines. Lines are outside and rap around the tower. If it's mid day it can get very hot, so bring sun protection or rotate people waiting. We went towards the end of the day.
One of the most important part of historical monuments in Istanbul and if you are in Karakoy,istiklal street or Taksim area,it is very close to go there easy to go by public transportation by famous Tunel…Around galata Tower there are plenty of nice restaurants&cafes and bars available and this part became very important venue to socialize with the friends.
Istanbul is an amazing place. Seen from the Galata Tower is even more amazing. They have lifts that take you to 3/4 of the tower and from there you take the stairs to the top. The tower platform is a bit narrow so it is difficult to move around and give way to people.
Fortunately, we didn't have long lines and it wasn't crowded. The views were terrific and we got some great pictures. A nice way to orient yourself to Istanbul.
Galata has a bit of a historical significance as it was used as a watchtower to defend the city. The view from the tower of the city is beautiful, especially at night. One gets the opportunity to get up, close and personal with the city. Galata is worth a visit.