Turkey's Istanbul Tower Galata Is Reopened To Visitors After Restoration

JAKARTA - The historic and iconic Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey is again opened to visitors who want to explore the historic building, after undergoing restoration.

The restoration work of one of the buildings that became Istanbul landmarks began in November 2023, with the eight-story tower closed to visitors.

On February 23, the entire historic building was closed for exterior restoration and earthquake strengthening.

After restoration work, the historic building was opened to visitors on May 25. Visitors showed great interest in the tower on the first day. There is a long queue, especially for tickets from visitors who come from outside the city.

In an official statement from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism after the restoration emphasized that these efforts were carried out using modern technology in collaboration with expert academics.

As part of these efforts, steps were also taken to accommodate the migrant swallow who used the tower as a nest.

The statement also stressed that the visit guidelines would allow a maximum of 100 visitors per hour.

"We actually arrived yesterday, but yesterday it was closed. We were very sad to see it closed. My girlfriend and I wanted to get up there. When we heard the place was open today, we came back. We are very happy that the place is reopened," said CIGIh Gölhan who came from the Exchange to Istanbul with his friends., reported Daily Sabah on May 26.

"The tower is extraordinary, beautiful, and very crowded. As you can see, we are queuing. We are also tourists, but we are waiting. Hopefully, if the opening is more organized and better, we will be happier," said another visitor named Necmiye Ceyran, who wants to visit the tower with his family.

The area where the building is located is a long time ago. In 1267, a trading colony was founded in Galata allocated to the Genoa people by Byzantines.

Although it is not known for certain when the tower was built, according to historical sources, the tower was built by the Genoa people between 1348 and 1349. The tower, which was built as a control tower inside the Galata wall, was called Christtea Turris (Menara Jesus) by Genoa and Megalos Pyrgos (Menara Besar) by Byzantines, while Turks directed Galat.

The Genoa people, allied to the Byzantine Empire, founded a colony called "Pera" in the Galata district of Istanbul in 1267. Over time, they expanded the dominance of the colony with permission from the empire.

They built the Galata Tower in the region to have a control tower and military structure as well as a defense against the mainland siege. The war broke out between Genoa and Byzantine shortly after the tower was built and lasted for a year.

As the war ended with the agreement signed afterwards, the hill where the Galata Tower was located was given to Genoa because the cross at the top of the building was decree issued by Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. With the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453, Genoa handed the entire colony over to Ottoman without any conflict.

Although the Galata Tower suffered some damage after being conquered by Ottoman, the destruction was halted after a decree issued by Sultan Ottoman Mehmed II for Pera and work led by Zaganos Pasha. With this work, the tower was elevated again and the cross at the top of the tower was replaced with the flag of the Ottoman Empire.

Istanbul's large earthquake in 1509 caused major damage to the city. The tsunami that occurred after the earthquake reached 6 meters (20 feet) in several places, broke through the city walls and damaged several buildings. Galatina Tower is among the buildings that were badly damaged by this disaster. This tower was succeeded in being elevated thanks to the repair work carried out by architect Hayreddin.

"I came here about a month ago when the tower was still in the restoration stage. I wanted to come again. I saw the place was crowded. I had followed it on the internet. I came, I saw, the place was very beautiful. There are quite a lot of people from abroad. The place is good, and is one of the most beautiful places in Turkey," said a visitor named Mahmut Harput.