Galata Tower (Turkish name: Galata Kulesi Istanbul) is a historical monument in the center of Istanbul (on the European side of the city), which is one of the symbols and one of the main attractions of the city.
On the upper levels of the tower there are circular (indoor and outdoor) observation decks, giving wonderful panoramic 360-degree views of the city.
The Galata Tower was erected by the Genoese in the middle of the fourteenth century (1348-1349) on top of a small hill and then it was part of the Galata defensive walls (small remnants of the walls can be seen near the tower), when the Galata quarter was a Genoese colony in the Byzantine era. Then the tower was called the "Tower of Christ".
In the Ottoman era, the tower received its real name "Galata" and was used for some time as a dungeon.
The tower was also an observatory and a fire observation tower.
In 1632, the tower became the starting point for one of the very first flights in history. It is claimed that a scientist named Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi jumped from the tower on homemade wings, flew over the Bosphorus and landed safely in the Asian part of the city, for which he was awarded by the sultan, and later exiled to Algeria.
During the history of the Galata Tower suffered from earthquakes and fires, underwent several reconstructions.
By the 1960s, the tower was destroyed, and then restored by the Istanbul Municipality and opened to visitors under the status of a museum.
Today Galata Tower is one of the symbols of Istanbul and one of the most visited attractions in the city.
Until the mid-20th century, Galata Tower was one of the tallest buildings in Istanbul. And today the tower is clearly visible from afar from many points of the city center.
The height of the Galata tower is 67 meters, the diameter is 9 meters, and the height above sea level reaches 140 meters.
A plaque on the Galata Tower
View of the Galata Tower and the surrounding ensemble with Galata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü)
There is a museum in the walls of the Galata Tower, and on the upper two floors (7th and 8th) there are observation decks with a 360-degree view of Istanbul.
An open observation deck is located on the 8th floor of the tower. The platform is circular. The observation deck offers beautiful views of the center of Istanbul, the Bosphorus Strait and the curved Golden Horn Bay are clearly visible.
On the seventh floor of the Galata Tower there is a closed observation deck, there are free binoculars and a mock-up of the center of Istanbul with the main attractions.
On the 6th and lower floors of the tower there are artifacts reflecting the historical periods of Istanbul, which has been inhabited since prehistoric times and has served as the capital of three great empires for sixteen centuries.
Video in the tower about how Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi jumped from the tower on wings
There is a shop on the lower floor of the tower
You can go up to the 6th floor of the tower by elevator, walk down the spiral staircase.
The observation decks of the 7th and 8th floors can be reached by stairs from the 6th floor.
Galata Tower is located in the historical center of Istanbul, on the European part of the city, in the Galata quarter of Beyoğlu district, near the main pedestrian street of the city - Istiklal (Istiklal caddesi).
Galata Tower address: Bereketzade, Galata Kulesi, 34421 Beyoğlu/Istanbul.
Coordinates of the Galata Tower: 41°01'32.0"N 28°58'27.0"E (41.025556, 28.974167).
Entrance to the Galata Tower is paid (includes visits to all floors and the observation deck of the tower). You can purchase tickets only to the tower, as well as the museum card of Istanbul (Museum Pass Istanbul) or the museum and tourist card Istanbul E-pass, which include visits to the Galata Tower and some other important museums and places of the city. Learn more about museum and tourist maps of Istanbul...
Tickets to the tower can be purchased at the ticket office near the Galata Tower.
We recommend checking the ticket price, opening hours and conditions of visiting the Galata Tower immediately before visiting the official website: muze.gov.tr/muze-detay .
You can also see the Galata Tower from one of the excursions in Istanbul
All accommodation facilities in Istanbul, including in the historical center of the city, near the Galata Tower and more remotely from those, can be viewed and booked here 
