Hello! I am Oğulcan Özdil. Today, I will accompany your Galata Tower tour as your guide. I present to your interest this free audio guide I have prepared for this historic structure, which is a symbol of Istanbul, as a professional tour guide and historian. In this audio guide consisting of 3 sections, I will first make a quick introduction by starting with the history and unknown aspects of Galata Tower. I recommend listening to this section if you are in line and have not yet entered inside. Because in the following parts of the application, I plan to take you on a journey through history. In the second section, beginning on the 7th floor of the tower, we will look together at the panorama of 19th-century Istanbul. In the final section, on the 8th floor of the tower, we will encounter today’s Istanbul. Let’s begin.

It is not really possible to understand the tower without understanding the Galata district.

The area was known in ancient times as “Fig Grove,” (İncirlik) and later it would be referred to as “Galata” or “Pera.” Because travelers coming here did not know the region well enough, these two names were often used interchangeably. After the 16th century, the area remaining inside the walls was called Galata, while the region north of the tower, outside the walls where foreign embassies were located, was named Pera. There are different opinions about what these two names mean and where they originated from. According to some, Pera is a word of Greek origin meaning “the opposite side.” As for the origin of the word Galata, it has again been suggested that it comes from the Greek “Gala,” meaning “milk.” Petrus Gyllius, who came to Istanbul in 1544, says, like the early Roman historians, that the name Galata came from the Galatians who once occupied this place. In the 17th century, the famous Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi also said that this name came from the word “milk.” Another strong possibility is that it may be of Italian origin. According to this, “calata” means descent, slope, or dock, creating an interesting connection with the region.

When Istanbul was occupied by the Latins at the beginning of the 13th century, the Genoese left their positions to the Venetians and began settling in Galata. In 1261, the Eastern Roman Empire reclaimed Istanbul from the Latins and even granted the Genoese privileges regarding trade. Accordingly, while they could conduct trade activities in Istanbul, a disagreement arose and they were expelled from the city, only to be allowed to settle here again around 1267. During this period they maintained their position in Galata, but as of 1267, the Eastern Roman authorities in the Istanbul side likely did not want to share their commercial status within their own city with anyone. Indeed, according to some sources, before this decision was taken, it was stated that the Genoese would create unrest against the Istanbul administration. Ultimately, although this decision seemed to have been taken for security purposes, it also became a highly important decision for the city’s trade. At the same time, we know that the city walls of Galata had been demolished and that an Eastern Roman garrison was stationed here.

Their settlement areas were limited by the Istanbul administration. At first, the area was between Karaköy and Azapkapı (the Golden Horn shoreline), but over time it expanded uphill to the great tower. During the Genoese period, as the city’s prosperity and population increased, new settlement areas were gained and walls were built to protect these districts. These walls added during the construction of houses were not unified but were built piece by piece. As Istanbul weakened, Galata continued to strengthen during this period.

The section including the construction of Galata Tower itself was built somewhat later than the other structures, during the years 1348–1349, at a time when there was a struggle for power in Istanbul. According to tradition, names were given to all castles and bastions. Later, those living in Constantinople would call this structure the “Great Bastion,” while the Genoese would call it the “Tower of Christ” or the “Tower of the Holy Cross.”

The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror), who conquered Istanbul on May 29, 1453, took control of Galata on June 1, 1453. You are probably thinking, “He already conquered Istanbul, so why did he have to go and take Galata again?” During the Eastern Roman period, this was an independent Genoese colony surrounded by strong walls. Mehmed II, who possessed persuasive authority, must have spoken with the administrators of this colony and convinced them of what was reasonable. Moreover, in doing so, Mehmed II not only prevented them from allying with Istanbul, but also gained the strategic advantages of this region.

Having gone through an exhausting military process and gained control over Istanbul, the Ottomans certainly could not leave the fate of this nearby location to chance. Furthermore, despite their agreements, it was revealed that aid had been sent from Galata to Istanbul. For this reason, Galata also needed to come under Ottoman rule. In addition, because of the trade volume it contained and its connection with Europe, it needed to be integrated in a way suitable for the future of Istanbul. Despite all these developments, according to Islamic law Mehmed II did not break his oath and accepted the surrender of this place on the condition that no one’s life or property would be harmed. Afterwards, an Ottoman administrator was appointed here. There are views that the walls and tower were repaired in the year following the conquest of Istanbul. Another rumor is that the walls were demolished.

As you can understand, contrary to what many people say, the tower was built in the 14th century, raised further by the Genoese in the second half of the 15th century, damaged during an earthquake at the beginning of the 16th century, and its repair was completed in the middle of the year 1510. Today, when viewed from outside, it is said that the brick sections corresponding between the second and third floors are due to this restoration. From this point upward, the remaining sections are in accordance with the Turkish architectural style. Over time, the tower was used for different functions and has reached the present day after various restorations.

As a result, while the Ottoman domination of Istanbul brought with it certain changes, it also ensured the integration of this region with Istanbul.

After taking the elevator to the 6th floor, you will reach the 7th floor of the tower using the stairs immediately to your right. Move toward the telescope window located to the left of the Istanbul model in the middle. Because our destination is Istanbul in the late 1800s.

When you look out of the window, you will see the Cihangir district, identified today by the Cihangir Mosque, the Bosphorus Bridge appearing as if it is right next to it, and the Bosphorus of Istanbul. The place extending below toward Dolmabahçe Palace is called Kabataş, while the shoreline on our side is called Tophane. This place takes its name from the “Tophane” building constructed shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in the 15th century. This word consists of the Turkish words “Top,” meaning “cannonball” used in firearms, and “hane,” meaning “factory,” “house,” or a place where something is made. This had previously been a wooded area lying outside the borders of the Galata walls I mentioned earlier.

Let us move to the next window on our right. The photograph you see in your hand belongs to the studio of Jean Pascal Sébah and Policarpe Joaillier, the official photographers of the Ottoman palace, taken at Galata Tower at the end of the 19th century. In the image, you can easily see the Tophane building, the Nusretiye Mosque, and the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque. Looking east behind the Tophane building, you see the Crimean Church, which was not yet even thirty years old when the photograph was taken. When you take your eyes away from the phone and look back out the window, you will notice the missing elements in the picture more clearly. You will also notice today’s Bosphorus Bridge, the increase in settlements visible on the Asian continent, and Galataport, built for passenger ships directly in front of us. This reminds us, already at the very beginning, that the Istanbul seen in a yellowed photograph frame is no longer the same as before. The ships in the photograph have long since departed. Moreover, many of the buildings we see in the image were either hidden behind structures built later or never survived to the present day.

When you move to the window on your right, you will see the tower and rising skyscrapers visible on the horizon on the Asian continent. Exactly at this point, Karaköy begins on our side of the Bosphorus. In urban terms, the greatest changes close to the date of the photograph on your phone occurred after the trade agreements made with England and France in 1838. The opening of banks in Karaköy, which was at the very center of these developments, led to the intensification of financial activities and maritime trade here. All these developments shaped the symbolic buildings, streets, and urban structure of Karaköy today. In the second half of the 19th century, a municipality was established and a systematic transformation began to be seen. Later, perhaps the opening of the 1875 Tünel F2, which you may have used while coming to the tower today, expanded the district’s connections and facilitated transportation to areas whose popularity was rising.

Now, when you look out of the glass, you are confronted with the most characteristic view of Istanbul. Before you, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn intersect. Amid the horn sounds of ferries moving toward the Asian side of the Bosphorus on your left or sailing toward us, the portrait of the Historic Peninsula appears on your right. From the Sea of Marmara behind the Justice Tower of Topkapı Palace to the Princes’ Islands, we are watching Istanbul from a bird’s-eye view.

From here, we need to move to the next telescope window again on our right. When you turn back to the photograph, we see that some of the buildings on the Bosphorus and Golden Horn-facing sides of Topkapı Palace did not survive to the present day. At the same time, in the photograph, the walls stretching almost to the shore beneath Hagia Sophia in a broken line are interrupted at one point. The reason for this is the Sirkeci Train Station, whose construction was completed precisely in the years when this photograph was taken. On the hill, the Sultanahmet Mosque appears among the minarets on the far right; to its left is Hagia Sophia, beside it the small dome of Hagia Irene, and at the very tip of the peninsula, Topkapı Palace. This is how the end of the 19th century looked.

From the next window, when we follow the Sultanahmet Mosque toward the right, the column visible on the hill is the Column of Constantine, which has marked the center of the square since the 4th century. To its right are the Gazi Atik Ali Pasha and Nuruosmaniye Mosques. Looking downward along this axis toward the Golden Horn, the New Mosque, the Egyptian Bazaar extending to its right behind it, and the Galata Bridge connecting the two shores of the Golden Horn can be seen. The bridge you see in the photograph is the old Galata Bridge, which entered service in 1875 and remained in use until 1912.

Again, when you follow the Historic Peninsula before us toward the right, you can see the Beyazıt Mosque on the hill and immediately to its right, closer to us, the Beyazıt Fire Tower. Below are the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the old Tahtakale Bath, which appears clearly in the photograph and which today can only be seen if you look carefully. After this photograph was taken, it continued serving as a bathhouse until the beginning of the 1900s and later turned into a commercial inn. The legendary structure visible on the hill to the right is the famous Süleymaniye Mosque. We cannot fit this monumental structure, built in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent, into here. If you continue carefully to the right, you will see the Şehzade Mosque and another symbol of the city, the Bozdoğan (Valens) Aqueduct, in the distance.

When you look from the 19th-century Istanbul panorama toward today’s Istanbul, another striking element will be that the Golden Horn shorelines have been expanded through land reclamation. Another important change is the Haliç Metro Bridge, which entered service only in 2014. It was built immediately beside the old Atatürk or Unkapanı Bridge. In today’s Istanbul, when you look between these two bridges toward the hill opposite, you will see perhaps the second most important structure of the city: the Fatih Mosque. Its construction was actually commissioned in the 15th century by Mehmed II (the Conqueror) after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. This hill also held a very important position during the Eastern Roman period of the city. After suffering heavy damage in the earthquake of the 18th century, it was rebuilt during the reign of Mustafa III and has survived to the present day.

Leaving this mosque on the horizon and continuing toward the right, we arrive at another elegant mosque of Istanbul, the Yavuz Selim Mosque. It was commissioned in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent for his father Selim I. When you compare the 19th-century panorama in your hand with today, it is seen that this mosque too was independently and well positioned and constructed apart from the surrounding structures. Indeed, architecturally, the city of Istanbul does not allow the kind of ease in which every architect can dare to construct buildings.

Starting from the past, we have together witnessed the panorama of 19th-century Istanbul. In order for the application to remain useful and easy to follow, I had to remain quite selective and limited. For such a rich city, we cannot fit all the subjects that should be examined socially, culturally, and architecturally into encyclopedias. Whereas the primary purpose of this application is to provide information about Galata and its tower. At the same time, however, it was also very important to enrich the content and allow you to follow the connection between old Istanbul and the present day. In addition, there also needed to be a short and meaningful introduction to the city for listeners who may never have visited Istanbul before or perhaps never heard of the structures belonging to the city being discussed. I am Oğulcan ÖZDİL, but you know me as atourguideinconstantinople. You can access all the free audio guide applications I have prepared for you through my website. If you think the applications provide benefit to you, you may share them with others. Your opinions are truly important to me. You can reach me through the contact form on my website or through my social media accounts. Until we meet again. Goodbye.