One of the interesting sights of Istanbul is situated on a small rocky island in the Bosporus Maiden Tower.
turkeydesk.com
Over the centuries it has repeatedly changed its purpose. Now it houses a restaurant and an observation deck with spectacular views of the Turkish capital. A small island in the Bosporus has been known since ancient times, but with which purpose was to built it is not exactly known. According to one version, it was built after the war between Athens and Sparta in 411 BC for the collection of taxes from passing through the Strait of Persian ships. Another version claims that it was a military watchtower, built during the reign of Constantine the Great.
erhansasmaz.deviantart.com
And, of course, the tower is linked with Davachi beautiful oriental legends, revealing the origins of its name. The most popular legend tells that the Turkish sultan built a tower for his daughter to protect her from the predicted death in the eighteenth day. In the Ottoman period the Maiden Tower in Bosporus Strait served mainly as a beacon.
www.askideas.com
The wooden tower was repeatedly subjected to considerable damage, and in 1720, was almost entirely burned down. In its place, the Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha Dmat built a tower of stone, adding to it a small turret with a lead roof and windows. During a cholera outbreak in 1829 the Maiden Tower became an insulator for the patients, and in 1857 it was rebuilt under the lighthouse, which in 1920 is fully automated, and was used all of the following years.
travelscube.com
After the incident with the storage of cyanide here in 1989, the Maiden Tower was completely abandoned. When all questions on the cleaning of the tower from the cyanide containers were resolved in 1992, the authorities decided to organize it as a cultural center. Now the Maiden's Tower has a restaurant, a gift shop and an observation platform.
