Istanbul’s landmark tower to be reopened as museum on September

ISTANBUL

Restoration works have started in Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower which was handed over to the General Directorate of Foundations while it is being operated by Istanbul Municipality.

The 672-year-old landmark building, whose exterior is undergoing restoration, will be opened to tourists on Sept. 15, as a museum.

The terrace of the tower will be reached by elevator, but stairs will be used when going down. Thus, all floors of the tower can be visited, Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said.

“You can get information in the museum by looking at the historical and archaeological values of Istanbul. Galata Tower will become a direction center,” Ersoy added.

He also pointed out that the restaurant and cafe inside the tower will be removed.

“There are many restaurants and cafes around. We don’t have to make money from there. We build a modern museum inside, using it as a tourist attraction,” he noted.

Preliminary preparations started before the restoration works carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations.

Scaffolds were installed around the tower for exterior maintenance within the scope of the works.

Galata Tower, one of the highest and oldest towers of Istanbul, was built in the 14th century by the Genoese colony as part of the defense wall surrounding their district in Beyoğlu directly opposite ancient Constantinople.

Just some hundred meters below the tower, a megaproject, known as Galataport, is expected to boost the city’s tourism and increase tourism revenues.

The project is being developed in Istanbul’s Karaköy district along the 1,200-meter coastline.