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.
The Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnene(1143-1180)had two towers built, one on the shore near where Topkapi Palace was later constructed, and the other where the Maiden s Tower stands today.Chains were drawn across the mouth of the strait between these two towers when Istanbul was atttacted by enemy fleets.
The original tower was rebuilt after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul in 1453.This structure undervent various changes over the centuries as a result of repairs and fires, and was extensively renovated during the reign of Mahmud II when it took the form seen today