Maiden’s Tower, crown jewel of Bosporus, ready to welcome back visitors

Maiden’s Tower, crown jewel of Bosporus, ready to welcome back visitors

Restoration of the Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi), one of many symbols of the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, has come to an finish with the opening scheduled for the primary week of May, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy introduced Tuesday.

“We will open it in the first week of May,” Ersoy stated, including that the opening was delayed by a pair of highly effective earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, claiming over 50,000 lives. He additionally highlighted that the excellent work carried out on the Maiden’s Tower after the earthquake catastrophe was the proper resolution for the historic web site.

The minister, who oversaw every stage of the restoration, supplied data on the method, stating that issues with the construction had been detected not solely on the highest but in addition on the underside, beneath the platform and alongside the edges close to the ocean. “The work is being completed. We have completed the piling work around the platform. In fact, the main reason for the two-month delay in the process right now is the extra precautions being taken against earthquakes,” he stated.

”Many parts that had been disassembled have been repaired and restored after in-depth examinations and analysis, bearing in mind scientific reviews and historic data,” the minister added.

Elaborating on the work across the platform, Ersoy stated that connecting the pilings and the platform with metal reinforcements will likely be one of many ultimate steps.

“Then the top will be covered, and the platform will be ready. In particular, the gaps at the points where the pilings are located and those close to the building will be filled with little rubber insulators, allowing the three separate structures to move independently during earthquakes for safety,” Ersoy added.

As the restoration course of reaches its ultimate stage, the highest of the Maiden’s Tower is already being unveiled, resolving the assumptions and public inquiries in regards to the standing of the restoration of the historic landmark sitting off the coast of the Üsküdar district on the Anatolian aspect of Istanbul.

The Maiden’s Tower, situated on an islet 200 meters (656 ft) off the shoreline, is believed to have been inbuilt 1110 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus as a wood construction protected by a stone wall. The construction was renovated to its present state within the late 1720s and served as an remark tower through the Ottoman Empire.

Museum for the long run

Ersoy defined that the Maiden’s Tower would function a museum for future generations. Similar to different iconic constructions overseas, the Maiden’s Tower will likely be put into service as a tower museum somewhat than being a location for eating and can primarily serve home and worldwide guests.

Noting that the interval of “the most robust documentation” relating to the historic tower was the interval of Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II, Ersoy stated: “The face (of the Maiden’s Tower) we are accustomed to seeing is the face that should not have been seen. Our eyes got used to it because we have been seeing its untrue face for years. Now it has been 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.

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