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Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi), also known as Leander’s Tower, is an Istanbul landmark of many legends and mysteries. It has unique views of Istanbul due to its excellent position.
Note: Almost everything in this post is from my visit in 2012. When I have a chance to see it again, I’ll update with new information and photos.
History of Maiden’s Tower
Maiden’s Tower sits on a small island 200 meters off the coast of Üsküdar on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The island was likely used as a customs station built in 408 BC by Athenian general Alcibiades to inspect ships coming from the Black Sea.
The first tower was built in 1110 by Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos. It was connected to another tower on the European side by a large chain. A large defensive wall, which is still visible under the water, connected it to the Asian side.
The Ottomans used the structure as a watchtower from 1453 until it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1509. It burned down in 1721, was repaired 10 years later, and converted a lighthouse. It was then rebuilt out of stone in 1763. In 1829, it functioned as a quarantine station, and it was repaired by Sultan Mahmud II in 1832.
Maiden’s Tower was restored in 1998 and again between 2021 and May 2023. It now serves as a major tourist attraction and once featured a popular yet very expensive restaurant with a fixed price menu.
Legends about the Tower
There are three legends about Maiden’s Tower that were illustrated inside at the time of my visit. The most popular (and my favorite) is that of the princess. It’s said that the tower was built for a princess by her father, a Byzantine emperor, to protect her after a prophet said she would die by snakebite. After her 18th birthday, to celebrate the prophecy not coming true, the emperor sent a basket of figs from which a snake appeared and fatally bit her.
The next legend is that of Battal Gazi, a Muslim warrior, who fell in love with the daughter of a Byzantine emperor. To protect his daughter, the emperor imprisoned her in the tower. Battal Gazi stormed the tower and kidnapped her, riding away quickly on his horse. This legend coined a famous Turkish expression, “Atı alan Üsküdar’ı geçti” (He who takes the horse is already past Üsküdar). Battal Gazi is buried in Seyitgazi.
The third legend is often misattributed to Maiden’s Tower and is actually about Hero and Leander in the Dardanelles. Leander, from the town of Abydos (near modern day Çanakkale), fell in love with Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite. Hero lived in a tower in Sestos, across the Hellespont from Abydos. Every night, Hero built a fire in the tower to light the way for Leandros who would swim across to be with her. One night, after a storm put out the fire, Leandros became lost and died. After hearing about his death, Hero was so struck by grief she committed suicide.
Visiting Maiden’s Tower
Admission to Maiden’s Tower is 32€ for foreigners (as of September 2024) or free for holders of a Museum Pass Türkiye. Even if you have a Museum Pass of any kind, you still have to pay for the boat ride. The tower is open from 9am to 9pm daily. Check the official website for more info.
Boats to the island leave from the pier in front of Ziraat Bank in Karaköy on the European side. They run roughly every 90 minutes starting at 9:30am and cost 75₺ (as of September 2024). You can also catch a boat from the Salacak pier in Üsküdar, which is about a ten-minute walk south of the Üsküdar ferry terminal. They run starting at 10am. The boats have limited capacity, so be prepared to wait if there are many people. Once at the island, visitors are free to take their time and return to shore on any later boat.
What to Do on the Island
First, you can walk around the tower to get different perspectives and see the lighthouse. You can then go inside and head to the top.
At the top of the tower, there are great views of Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower, and many more landmarks on the European side. Looking north and east, you can see the Bosporus Bridge and Üsküdar. To the south is the Port of Haydarpaşa (Haydarpaşa Limanı).
