Maiden’s Tower · Shut Away, and Still Not Saved

The small tower in the middle of the Bosphorus is called the Maiden’s Tower. An emperor was told by a prophecy that his daughter would die of a snake bite. He shut her in this tower, but in the end a snake came up in a basket of fruit.

Another version says the imprisoned princess waited for someone who never came, which is why the tower is also called Leander’s Tower.

Today there is a viewing terrace and a café on the tower. At night it is lit and can be seen from both shores of the strait — many people treat it as a warning rather than a sight.

Folklore / Istanbul · Türkiye / 12th century