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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.
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 built in 408 BC by Athenian general Alcibiades. It was likely used as a customs station for tax collection and inspection of ships coming from the Black Sea.
The first tower was built in 1110 by Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos. It was connected to another tower next to the Mangana Monastery, which was in today’s Sarayburnu, by a large chain. A large defensive wall, which is still visible under the water, connected it to the Asian side.
Shortly after the Fall of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the construction of a new wooden structure to be used as a watchtower. In the early 18th century, a small lighthouse was added to the northern part of the tower by Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damad Ibrahim Pasha (c. 1662-1730).
Between 1830 and 1831, Maiden’s Tower was converted into a quarantine station in an attempt to prevent a cholera epidemic. A lantern was later installed by a French company, and the tower was transferred to the Lighthouse Administration in 1857. An automatic light system was introduced in 1920. The tower also functioned for a short time as a radar station starting in 1959 and later as a cyanide warehouse.
In 1992, local authorities made the decision to turn the tower into a tourist attraction. After restoration was completed in 2000, it was leased to a private entity until 2020. During that period, it featured a popular yet very expensive restaurant with a fixed price menu. After the lease expired, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism took control. It finally reopened to visitors in May 2023 after a 2-year restoration.
Repairs and Reconstructions
Maiden’s Tower was had to be rebuilt or repaired several times over the centuries for various reasons:
- The tower was damaged during an earthquake in 1509 and repaired by Sultan Selim I.
- It was damaged during an earthquake in 1690 and repaired in 1692.
- The tower burned down in 1719 and repaired in 1725. A lead dome, masonry, and glass were added to the lantern section.
- It fell during an earthquake in 1766 and was rebuilt by Mehmed Tahir Ağa.
- Repairs were carried out in 1779, 1783, 1785, 1791 and 1803.
- The tower took its current shape when it was repaired during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II in 1832. Calligrapher Mustafa Rakım Efendi wrote the inscription with the Sultan’s tughra on the pediment above the entrance.
- Maiden’s Tower was taken over by the Istanbul Port Authority and repaired in 1932.
- It burned down and was repaired in 1943-44.
- The cistern was filled with concrete in 1965.
- The tower was restored between 1995 and 2000, dismantling all additions made in 1943-44.
- During restoration between 2021 and May 2023, all elements that weren’t part of the original design were removed.
Legends about the Tower
There are three legends about Maiden’s Tower that were once presented as murals in the stairwell. The murals were removed during restoration between 2021 and 2023.
The most popular legend is that of the princess. It’s said that the tower was built by a Byzantine emperor to protect his daughter 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. The emperor imprisoned the princess in the tower for protection. 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 Leander, 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
Maiden’s Tower is open daily. You can purchase tickets in Karaköy on the European side and Salacak on the Asian side. Admission is 35€ for foreigners and an additional 5€ for the boat ride (as of September 2025). Holders of a Museum Pass Türkiye or Museum Pass Istanbul only pay for the boat ride. Check the official website for more info.
Boats to the island leave from the pier in front of the Ziraat Bank building in Karaköy. They run roughly every 90 minutes starting at 9:30am. You can also catch a boat from 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 for a later departure if tickets sell out. Once at the island, visitors are free to take their time and return to shore on any later boat.
Scam Alert
My latest visit to the tower left a bad taste in my mouth. To avoid a negative experience, here’s some advice if you’re considering a visit:
- Unfortunately, the price is a colossal ripoff if you’re a foreigner paying full price, so my advice is don’t bother visiting unless you have a Museum Pass.
- When purchasing a ticket without a Museum Pass, you’ll be offered an “audioguide”. It’s a scam that inflates the price and only gets you a cheap pair of headphones! This is disgraceful and another reason you should only visit on a Museum Pass.
What to Do at Maiden’s Tower
Once you get to the island, you can walk around the tower to get different perspectives of the building. You’ll also see the lighthouse on the northwest corner.
Just inside the entrance to the tower is a branch of Baylan Pastanesi. It’s one of my favorite sweet shops in Istanbul and is famous for the Kup Griye.
The door on the other side opens to the courtyard, which once housed the restaurant. It’s now an open-air courtyard once again. Around the perimeter of the ground floor are two cannons, and you can also walk around the battlements at the top.
The staircases in the courtyard lead into the tower. At each landing on the way up, you can stop and read about its history.
At the top of the tower is an outdoor walkway around the cupola. From there, you’ll have 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). You can also look down on the courtyard.
