LEANDER'S TOWER

Teanders Tower

Seated on a rock about a hundred meters from the shore at the entrance of the Bosphorus, this fine little building is one of the symbols of Istanbul. It is known to have been used throughout history as a watch tower, signal tower and lighthouse. Although the tower is known as the Tower of Leander in association with the legend of Leander who drowned while trying to swim across a strait to reach his sweetheart Hera, this is a mistake, for the waterway described in the classical legend is actually the Strait of Dardanelles.

Maiden Tower in the evening

Maiden Tower (Leander's Tower)