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Maiden's Tower
Salacak Üsküdar Istanbul, TurkeyMaiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi) is the symbol of Istanbul due to its unique location at the intersection point of the two continents Europe and Asia,
2500 years old history and legends that have been subject to many stories and poems through out the history.
Kiz Kulesi, also known as Maiden's Tower, is a tower located on a small island at the entrance to the Bosphorus. There were many previous towers built on this same island in Byzantine times, as well as after the Ottomans assumed control over the area.
During the 12th century, the Byzantines had chains strung from the tower to the wall of Constantinople to prevent any boats from passing through the Bosphorus without their consent. Using chains to block the strait was actually a common practice along the Bosphorus throughout history among various controlling powers.
The varios stories about the Maidens Tower:
Built on the rocks of the asian shore at the mouth of the Bosphorus Strait, hundereds of ships, ferries and motor boats sail past the Maiden's Tower every day.For centuries its light has illuminated the darkness, giving sailors a landmark by which to navigate.That light has become part of a story or perhaps real in the distant past.
A young man fell in love with a girl who was living in the tower and swam from Galata on the Europian shore each night to keep tryst with her.But one stormy night he is drowned and his body washed up on the rocks at the foot of the towerThis story is one of several based on that of Hero and Leander.
Having set the record straight, here is the original version of Hero and Leander.A young man named Leander living in the city of Abydos on the southern shore of Canakkale Strait fell in love with the beautiful priestess Hero, and she was with him.Since she was forbidden to marry, Leander visited her secretely every night, swimming across the strait from Abydos to Sestos where Hero lived.
So that Leander could find his way in the darkness, Hero carried a torch up to the top of the tower where she lived each night and waited until he arrived. But one stormy night torrential rain extinguished the torch in Hero's hand, and unable to find the right direction, Leander was eventually exhausted by the waves and drowned.At down the next morning Hero saw Leander's ragged shirt in the sea and threw herself into the water.So the two lovers were united at last in death.Many myths and legends bear a similiar resemblance to others, the location changing while the story remain the same.
The ferry to Uskudar sails just North of this former defense point. A chain could be stretched from here to the European side of the Bosphorus making it impassable to enemy ships
