K is not the type of guy that calls several times a day to talk to me. He’s quite the opposite, I am the one who needs to hear him more. Therefore, I was quite surprised when he called, the second time that day. I picked up the phone thinking there’s something important for me to know.
It was, in a way. He told me to change channels and watch AXN. It was the Amazing Race and the teams we re going to Istanbul. More than that, they were going to a specific place where we had been together: Kız Kulesi of Maiden’s Tower. Dating back from 341 BC, in 410 BC it became a customs area on the Bosphorous, but the tower on this structure was built only in 1110. In 1719 it was burnt down by a fire and then repaired in 1725. More history and photo from here.
Presently it hosts a restaurant, a coffee/tea small shop and you can see a huge part of Istanbul from up top. You can only get there by small boats, which makes it seem quite a world in its own. When I was there, I had a hot chocolate which I quite enjoyed while looking at the sea and the city. There are quite a few legends about the tower. One of the most famous is that of a princess locked here by her father to protect her from a prophecy that stated she would die on her 18th birthday. On that very day, she was brought a fruit basket and was killed by a snake which had managed to get inside. I watched the show, seeing people running around Kız Kulesi and looking for clues and gnomes. And I thought to myself: too bad you do not have the time to enjoy it! Tags: Travel, Tourism, Travel Destinations, Istanbul, Turkey, Kız Kulesi |
What a legend! There seem to more to this tower than what meets the eye.