The Galata Tower is located in
Istanbul in
Turkey to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most striking landmarks it is a huge, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline on the Galata side of the Golden Horn. Known as the Tower of Christ when it was built in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. It was the apex of the fortifications of Genoese Galata. The tower was rebuilt several times during the Ottoman period and in the past decade it has been restored and is now open to the public. There is a modern restaurant and cafe on its upper floors which commands a magnificent view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus.