Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi)

The Maiden's Tower sits on a tiny islet about 200 metres offshore from the Üsküdar waterfront, its slim silhouette one of the most distinctive landmarks on the Bosphorus. A tower has stood on the rock since at least the 12th century; the current structure dates largely from the 18th and 19th centuries, when it served variously as a lighthouse, quarantine station, and maritime signal post.

The tower was restored and reopened in 2023 after a lengthy renovation. It now operates as a restaurant and cultural venue, with regular ferry connections from the Salacak waterfront in Üsküdar. Book in advance for dinner; a visit for the views alone is possible at other times.

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A story
The tower has accumulated myths faster than almost any other structure in Istanbul. One tradition says it was built by a Byzantine emperor to keep his daughter safe from a prophecy that she would die of a snake bite — a snake duly arrived in a basket of grapes and killed her anyway. Another says Leander swam from the European shore each night to visit Hero, who kept a lamp burning in the tower to guide him. The Ottoman name, Kız Kulesi (Maiden's Tower), comes from yet another version of the enclosure legend. None of the stories are historically documented, but all of them attach themselves to the tower with the inevitability of myth.

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