LIZARD TOWER (KIZ KULESI)

It is close to the shores of Salacak, about 180 m from the coast, and marks the entrance to the Bosphorus. It's one of the city's symbols, and a regular target for cameras. A James Bond film, The World is Not Enough (with Pierce Brosnan and Sophie Marceau), was shot here. Several legends surround the tower, illustrated by frescoes inside. It is said to have been the home of the gentle, virginal Hero, one of Venus' priestesses. To honor her goddess, Hero attends a ceremony and meets Léandre. Love at first sight! Madly in love, Léandre throws himself into the waters that very evening to join his beloved by torchlight. The two lovers met more than once, but one day the torch went out. Unable to find his way back and exhausted, Léandre disappears into the waves. Distressed, Hero in turn slips into the sea and disappears. In Turkish, this tower is called Kız kulesi (Maiden Tower). Historically speaking, the Greek general Alcibiades built the first fort on this islet towards the end of the^5th century BC to control the flow of sea traffic. The Byzantine chronicler Choniates tells us that the islet was fortified again in the ^12th century, on the initiative of Manuel ^I Comnenus, in order to anchor the great chain that blocked the Bosphorus and the entrance to the Golden Horn. It was then called Arcla, "little fortress". The Turks used it to conquer Constantinople. It wasn't until 1509, after an earthquake, that it became a lighthouse. At the same time, a water tank was added. In 1719, it was destroyed by fire, then rebuilt under the control of the vizier Ibrahim Paşa, known as le Gendre. In the second half of the ^19th century, with the fragile empire often facing serious threats, it regained its defensive use. Restored in 1944, it was transferred to the military in 1959. Maritime lines took possession in 1982. It has subsequently been used as a lighthouse, military hospital and radio station. Ten years later, amidst controversy and consultation, the phase of opening it to the public began. Today, it's a done deal. There is no longer a restaurant; it is now just a museum. Major restoration work was carried out between 2021 and 2023. Regular crossings are provided from Üsküdar.