40/50.- Istanbul, Galata Tower

We start our fifth day in Istanbul with a stroll on the Galata Bridge, across the Golden Horn; first built in 1845 the wooden Galata bridge was replaced in 1912 with an iron bridge, and recently reinforced and enlarged in 1994.

As we enter the maze of streets uphill to the Galata Tower, we can only imagine what this commercial district may have looked like in its heyday, when it was home to Sephardic Jews, Genoese, Greek bankers, Armenians, foreign ambassadors. You will surely enjoy the walk along streets with stylish 18th c. houses and inns, to the Galata Tower, shown here in the photo.

Called the Tower of Christ, Galata was built by the Genoese in the 14th c together with a defense wall along the shores of the Golden Horn.

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