Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi)

Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi)

The Maiden’s Tower, which seemingly floats in the Bosporus off Asia, is one of the most beloved landmarks of the city. Once a Byzantine tollbooth for Bosporus trade and later an Ottoman lighthouse, it’s most famous for a legend involving a princess and a prophecy: It was foretold that a princess would die from a snake bite on her 18th birthday. Her father exiled her to the tower to keep her alive, but alas, the prophecy proved true.