BCE 410

In the fifth century BCE, a customs point was established on the island where the tower is
located today, and a tower was built to inspect ships coming from the Black Sea and to
collect taxes.
1143-1180

A defence tower was built on the island by the Eastern Roman Emperor, Manuel Komnenos the
First, in the 12th century. A chain was stretched between this tower and a tower located
next to the Mangana Monastery in Sarayburnu (the section where the sea walls were restored)
to control the entry and exit of ships through the Bosphorus.
1453

After the Conquest, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (Fatih Sultan Mehmet) had a new castle built
at this location. A guard unit was placed in the castle. Every evening after bedtime and at
dawn, the Mehter watch began to play in the tower. It became a tradition to fire cannon
shots from the Maiden's Tower during holidays and sultan’s visits to the seaside palaces,
and when they ascend to the throne.
1660-1730

A lantern was placed on the northern part of the wooden tower by Sultan III, Ahmed's Grand
Vizier, Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha, to illuminate the way for ships coming from the
Black Sea and Marmara at night. Since then, the tower ceased being a castle and served
primarily as a lighthouse.
1830-1837

Between 1830 and 1831, the tower was converted into a quarantine hospital to prevent the
cholera epidemic from spreading to the city. During the plague epidemic in which twenty to
thirty thousand people died between 1836-1837, some of the patients were isolated in the
hospital established here, and the spread of the epidemic was quelled by quarantine.
Passengers and patients were also quarantined in the Maiden’s Tower during the cholera
outbreak that occurred in Trabzon in 1847.
1857

A French company added a lantern to the tower, which has since been transferred to the
Lighthouses Administration.
1926

After the lantern was transferred to the İstanbul Port Authority, it was used as a gas tank
in addition to its lantern function.
1959

The Maiden's Tower was also used as a radar station for a while. For maritime transportation
navigation safety, a light was turned on in the tower in the evenings, and a foghorn was
blown in low-visibility weather. In addition, until 1983, since the distance of the Harem
and Port guidance stations is short, the duties of 24-hour notification and control of all
ships passing through the strait was performed by only two officers of the Maritime
Enterprises.
1964

This location was used as a surveillance and radar station under the Ministry of National
Defence.
1983-1992

In 1983, the Maiden's Tower was transferred to the Maritime and Port management of
Türkiye. The building was also used as a cyanide storage facility. The cyanide was moved to
a storage facility in Tuzla after a decision by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality
Council in 1992. In May 1992, the tower was used by poets for a period and declared as the
"Republic of Poetry".
1994

In 1994, the tower was transferred from the Ministry of Transport to the Naval Forces
Command.
1995-2000

After an extensive restoration process, the tower was rented to a private facility for
tourist purposes.