Galata Tower · The Man Thrown from the Top

The Galata Tower was built by the Genoese as a watchtower, and over the centuries it has served as a prison, an observatory and a fire lookout.

The best-known story is this: an Ottoman engineer wanted to fly from the top of the tower across the Bosphorus. The sultan gave him one chance, and he succeeded — and as a reward the sultan gave him a bag of gold and then had him thrown from the top of the tower.

The gallery at the top holds two people abreast. When the wind is strong, the tower sways slightly.

Folklore / Istanbul · Türkiye / 1348