It was built as part of the Galata Wall during the Byzantine Times, when it was a Genoa colony. Used as a dungeon or fire watchtower, the tower underwent several repairs during the Ottoman period due to fires and earthquakes, but it is no longer usable, and is now being repaired and used as a museum.
Climb the Galata Tower, one of the tallest structures in Istanbul, and enjoy Istanbul, the capital of three great empires, at a glance.