Galata Tower and a 360-Degree View of Istanbul

Exploring the bustling city of Istanbul is a great experience but to see it from up high is something completely different. In my opinion, the best place to do this is Galata tower, a landmark that dominates the skyline.

Six years ago, I went to the tower to attend a Turkish show at nighttime. I could see lights from buildings, dotted across the horizon, and the lights of traffic moving, but that was it and I desperately wanted to return during the day.

A return visit to Istanbul last month, meant Galata tower was on my list of places to go.

The View of Istanbul From Galata Tower

After standing in a queue for half an hour, I finally made it through the doors, paid my ticket money, and stood in another queue for the lifts.

I came out of the lifts, walked up a winding staircase, which passes the restaurant on the way. When I reached the top, I had in front of me, an unobstructed and 360-degree view of Istanbul.

Now – if you know me well, you will realize that seeing Istanbul from the top of Galata tower is an achievement as I have a big fear of heights.

I circled around the tower with my back firmly against the wall. The thought of peering over the guard rails and down to the streets below was just too much to bear.

Note to the idiot who was at Galata tower on the same morning as me. Messing about at the top of a 66 meter tower with dodgy looking guardrails and a half meter path full of tourists IS NOT FUNNY!!

Yes, if you happened to be up the tower on the same day as me, I was the freaky woman having palpitations, as well as suffering from a hang over which made me want to throw up.

I hope you enjoy my photos; most taken with one hand because I refused to take my other hand off the wall.

Readers Questions on Galata Tower

Can you identify any well-known landmarks in the photos?

Have you been to the top of the tower as well?

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Hi. I'm Natalie, a freelance travel blogger and writer specializing in the country of Turkey. I love hot summer days, historical sites and coffee.

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Comments

joseph says
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I couldn’t agree more, it is the best view one can get of the city.

I recently tried Facebook’s new 360 photo feature. You can move your phone around you and feel like you are at the top of the tower. Pretty cool stuff! Check it out: http://canimistanbul.com/blog/en/galata-tower-360-photo/
Youseef says
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our life is short but we can make our life very happy and most beautiful by tour nice places in the world!
Thank you for sharing! really i enjoyed your photos it is alive and most adventure!
Natalie says
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What a shame you missed it. I am normally scared of heights but knew I had to make it up there. Never mind, maybe another time
Kurt says
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Got to the tower too late myself. I shouldn’t have missed that opportunity. Great shots.
Natalie says
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Thanks Cam. I am playing with tilt shift at the moment but seem to have gone off quite quickly! 🙂 The attraction did not last long
Cam says
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You’ve captured some great photos! I especially like the tilt shift one…
Natalie says
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While pictures are great, seeing the view with your own eyes is definitely much better Johanna
Johanna Bradley says
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Glad you stuck with it so I could view the results. I would so love to see it for myself. Many thanks!
Natalie says
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Jade – The photo with the bird was a total fluke. Right place at the right time and then a little bit of cropping. One of the pictures is also done in the miniature style, the fourth one. I thought about doing them all in tilt shift but felt it would be too much.
Jade Johnston says
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That photo with the bird is amazing… and actually some of your photos look like that style where things look minature…
Natalie says
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Hangovers and the top of a 66 metre tower do not go well together Steph. Be sober as a judge when you go!
Stephanie - The Travel Chica says
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Great view! I’ll have to remember this when I visit the city again… and will be sure to go when I do not have a hangover.
Ozlem's Turkish Table says
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Hi Natalie,
I actually had been in a Jewwish synagogue years ago for a friend’s wedding, it is atmospheric. Also a few years ago my American friends went to the one near Karakoy, a small but a nice one, worth exploring. Lots of history there.
Hope it helps!
Natalie says
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It is quite understandable when you see it from up high, as to why many call it a very unique city. It does look awesome
Andrea says
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When I first drove through Istanbul I just loved the look of the city as a whole – all the sprawling buildings over the rolling hills dotted with minarets in the landscape. It looks awsome from a high place!
Natalie says
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He he Maybe you and I have got ourselves a name as the freaky people at the top of the tower. I never looked down so did not see the slopes towards the edge. Glad I didn’t otherwise I would have screamed!!
Natalie says
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Bret – Maybe it was the same press trip, I was meant to attend but it all fell through. Look forward to when you visit Turkey, I am headed to the black sea region in two days, which is all about eco tourism in a way. That would be some great subjects for you to focus on, will let you know how I get on.
Cole @ Four Jandals says
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I was petrified the whole time as well because the ground slopes towards the edge! So you are not the only one that freaks out with heights 🙂
Bret @ Green Global Travel says
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Great photos, and as always they make us yearn to visit Turkey. We actually had a Turkish ecotourism press trip set up a few months ago, but it fell through. Hopefully we’ll make it there next year…
Natalie says
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Andrew – That was the other thing that annoyed me and at times, people would expect me to go back when the path was jammed full of bodies. I stood my ground though
Natalie says
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Will you be publishing your pictures Ali? I would love to see them, really like pictures taken in bad weather. I think they have more character
Natalie says
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Thank Guys, the views were worth it to do it once but never again! 🙂
Natalie says
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Think she thought it was funny and obviously had no fear of heights. Would think twice about going up again actually because of that
Natalie says
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Hi Ozlem, I must admit the seagull shot was a total fluke and just in the right place at the right time. For the cafes and restaurants, I need to go back to the Galata area as had to leave to catch my flight. Also want to try and see one of the Jewish synagogues in the area as well. Have you been inside any of them?
Natalie says
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Total fluke a bit of cropping Emme! 🙂
Natalie says
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That is all I could make as well Kadir. Of course Galata bridge as well
Andrew says
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As Ali said, we were fighting weather on our time up. Though I think we did pretty good. We did two rounds around the tower each with a different lens on the tower. What gets me is that even though there are signs and arrows and the path is really quite tiny, there were a lot of people that were walking the wrong way. Seriously? That was so annoying.
Ali says
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Your pictures look so great! When we went up there, the weather was pretty bad, and as we walked around taking pictures it just kept getting worse and worse. Overcast and drizzly. Luckily we were done right before it really started raining. It was still a great view of Istanbul though!
Christy @ Technosyncratic says
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Beautiful photos! I’m not scared of heights, but Kali isn’t too fond of them… I think in this case the view is worth it, though. 🙂
phil + Di marina gateway says
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Fabulous pic’s Natalie and well done for getting up there im not good with hights myself the last thing you need when your afraid of something is some nutter messing around
Francesca says
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Luckily, I did video record it 🙂 Here’s a link to it on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWorkingMomsTravels
Ozlem's Turkish Table says
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Merhaba Natalie,
So great to see the Galata Tower!! What a great shot you took with the seagull – marti – in it!
I love the view all round, especially the views of Bogazici, the Bosphorus, so inviting.
The Galata Tower area changed so much over the years; a cup of cay (tea) by the skirts of the tower is a wonderful experience. They now have lots of neat Turkish restaurants, cafes all round there, enjoy for me too:)
Emme Rogers @ Roamancing says
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That is the most amazing gull shot.
Kadir says
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There are total 7 photos in this post.

Everybody knows some mosque. Such as, Suleymaniye, Yeni (New), Fatih Camii.

You can see Suleymaniye mosque 4th photo. Everybody knows this mosque with 4 minarets.

you can see Fatih mosque 5th mosque with two minarets.

You can see Yeni (New) mosqua and Spice Bazaar. Left side and center.
Natalie says
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Someone else mentioned on my FB page that they had been at the top whilst the call to prayer happened. I wish I had timed my visit different now and videoed it. Would have been awesome
Francesca says
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I have been to the top of Galata Tower, also. It was one of my favorite attractions in Istanbul. The views were spectacular and we were lucky to be there on a day that didn’t see huge crowds trying to get to the top. We were in Istanbul during a religious holiday, so there were more calls to prayer each day than normal (so we were told). We happened to be at the top of the tower for one call to prayer and it was intense! The chanting was in stereo, sound coming from the mosques all around the tower. An unforgettable experience!
Natalie says
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I know – Terrible Sam – don’t know where the fear came from either as I never suffered from it as a child
Natalie says
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I imagine that time to be a good one as well Pete, especially if it is around sunset. sorry to read that you missed it but maybe next time you come back to Turkey.
Sam says
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hehe, some people just don’t have the same respect for heights
Pete says
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Your photos turned out wonderful. I assure you that I wasn’t the idiot up there. We went to go up the Tower, but alas we arrived at 7:45pm only to find out that it closes at 7:30pm. We did not try again. Thanks for showing us the view, and good on ya for trying to conquer your fear.