Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi)

The sole remainder of the Byzantine period and considered to be one of the symbols of Istanbul, Leander's Tower serves its guests with its renovated visage from the previous century, along with its restaurant and viewing balcony.

Transport to one of Istanbul's most romantic and most mysterious locales can be reached through special boat trips from Salacak and Kabataş. The unique structure, with its own history, also possesses a myth that's been passed down through centuries. According to the myth, a king (emperor) is told that his beloved daughter will be bitten by a poisonous snake. Therefore, the king has a tower built in the middle of the water. However, a snake hidden in one of the fruit baskets that are sent to the tower kill the princess. For 2500 years Leander's Tower has been standing defiant against Istanbul's noise with its silence as the proof of the inevitable fate.