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LENDER'S TOWER UP Lender's Tower ( Maiden's Tower ) stands on a tıny ısland at the entrance of The Bosphorus. The Turkish name is derived from a legend. According to the legend, the sultan had this tower built in order to secure his daughter from a prophesy that she would die from the poison of a serpent. The princess was eventually bitten by a poisonous serpent, smuggled out to the islet in a basket of grapes. In the West European version, the name of the tower is Lander's Tower. According to a legend Lander drowned there in his attempt to swim the strait to see his lover, Hero. The Emperor Manuel Comnenus buılt a small fortress around it in the twelfth century. It was used as a lighthouse and a customs control point. The present building dates from the eighteenth century. It has recently been remodeled and converted into a cafe and restaurant. GALATA TOWER UP The Galata Tower stands some 67 meters high with its base 35 meters above sea level. Originally known as the Tower of Christ, it was erected during the first expansion of the Genoese colony in 1348 in order to defend themselves more adequately. The defense system consisted of six walled enceintes, with the outer wall bordered by a deep ditch. Fragments of the fortifications can still be seen here and there in Galata. Mehmet II took the tower from the Genoese. The tower was used as a weather observatory during the reign of Murat III 1514-1595. The Galata Tower has recently been restored and there are now a modern restaurant and cafe on its upper levels. From there a panoramic view out over the entire city can be seen. |