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Period: 410 BCE to 410 BCE
First Time
The first known structure was built by the Athenian general Alcibiades as a wooden watchtower and customs station to control naval traffic in the Bosphorus -
Period: 1100 to 1100
Byzantine Empire Time
During the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos rebuilt the tower using stone, transforming it into a stronger defensive structure. The tower was surrounded by walls and used for military observation and control of the Bosphorus. These early phases established the Maiden’s Tower as a strategically important point in the defense of Constantinople. -
Period: 1453 to 1453
ll.Mehmed Time
During the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the tower was used by the Byzantines to defend the city. After the conquest, the Ottomans took control of the tower. -
Period: to
18th Century Time (1789)
The wooden parts of the tower were destroyed by fire. Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha had it rebuilt in stone and added a lead-covered dome, giving it a more durable and elegant structure. A small lighthouse was also added during this period to help guide ships at night. -
Period: to
20th Century Time
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the tower underwent several renovations, and its use shifted more toward tourism and cultural events -
Period: to
2021 2023 Time
A major restoration project was undertaken by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to strengthen and preserve the historical structure.