Maiden’s Tower

The Maiden's Tower, a historic and iconic structure, stands proudly on a small islet in the middle of the Bosphorus, captivating the hearts of all who behold its timeless beauty.

The Tower was initially constructed in the fifth century BCE on an islet about 20 metres from the present-day coast of Üsküdar as a customs checkpoint to manage ships travelling through the Bosporus and collect taxation. On this tiny islet, the Eastern Roman Emperor Manuel Komnenos ordered the construction of a defence structure in the 12th century. An iron chain that extended from the tower to another tower on the Historical Peninsula took control of the Bosporus' entry and departure.

During the Ottoman period, a wooden tower was built here and served as a watchtower, a lighthouse and a quarantine site in the upcoming centuries. In the Republic era after being used by the city’s port authority for a long time. Serving as a radar station and storehouse during this period, it later functioned for a while as a restaurant, accessible only via boats from Üsküdar's shore. The iconic structure off the coast of İstanbul’s Asian side, now functions as a monument museum.

The Tower has also a few legends adding to its fame. The first tells the story of a king and his princess daughter. After a soothsayer had predicted that the princess would die from a snake bite, the king built the Maiden’s Tower on the rocks off Salacak to protect his daughter. However, the princess couldn’t avoid her fate eventually and was bitten by a snake that entered the castle in a basket of fruits. Another legend says that Leandros fell in love with Hero, a nun of Aphrodite living in a tower.  Leandros swam every night to see Hero following the light of the tower. However, the tower’s light was put out by a storm one night. Leandros lost his way and drowned in the Bosporus. Overwhelmed by grief and loss, Hero also committed suicide.

You can reach the Maiden's Tower by private boats departing from the Üsküdar-Salacak and Galataport piers. Boats from the Üsküdar-Salacak pier will depart in front of the Maiden's Tower ticket office.