Maiden's Tower
Ancient islet tower at the Bosphorus narrows, a sentinel through Byzantine and Ottoman rule.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul opens in the spring of 1453, when a Venetian captain named Gabriele Trevisano held this islet off the Asian shore while the Ottoman army ringed Constantinople. From there it follows the tower through the centuries that came after, including its years as a lighthouse and a cholera quarantine ward, and the Turkish legend of a sultan's daughter that gave it its name. Best heard from a spot on the shore where you can see the tower and the old city across the water.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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