After a comprehensive restoration process, the Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi), an iconic symbol of the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, is set to open to visitors in the first week of May. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy oversaw each stage of the restoration process, which revealed problems with the structure not only on the top but also on the bottom, under the platform, and along the sides near the sea. Many elements that were disassembled were repaired and restored after in-depth examinations and research, taking into account scientific reports and historical records.
Due to the pair of powerful earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, causing over 50,000 deaths, the opening of the Maiden's Tower was delayed. The restoration work included piling work around the platform, connecting the pilings and the platform with steel reinforcements, and covering the top of the tower. The gaps at the points where the pilings are located and those close to the building were filled with little rubber insulators to allow the three separate structures to move independently during earthquakes for safety.
The Maiden's Tower is located on an islet 200 meters (656 feet) off the shoreline and was believed to have been built in 1110 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus as a wooden structure protected by a stone wall. The structure was renovated to its current state in the late 1720s and served as an observation tower during the Ottoman Empire.
Minister Ersoy explained that the Maiden's Tower would serve as a museum for future generations and would primarily serve domestic and international visitors. The Maiden's Tower will be put into service as a tower museum rather than being a location for dining, similar to other iconic structures abroad.
Ersoy noted that the period of "the most robust documentation" regarding the historical tower was the period of Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II. The Maiden's Tower was restored to its original form seen in the original paintings from the period of Mahmut II. "For several years, we have been looking at the tower from Istanbul, and now we will watch Istanbul from the Maiden's Tower," he concluded.
