Restoration of the Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi), one of the symbols of the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, has come to an end with the opening scheduled for the first week of May, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced Tuesday.
"We will open it in the first week of May," Ersoy said, adding that the opening was delayed by a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, claiming over 50,000 lives. He also highlighted that the comprehensive work carried out on the Maiden's Tower after the earthquake disaster was the correct decision for the historic site.
The minister, who oversaw each stage of the restoration, provided information on the process, stating that problems with the structure were detected not only on the top but also on the bottom, under the platform and along the sides near the sea. "The work is being completed. We have completed the piling work around the platform. In fact, the main reason for the two-month delay in the process right now is the extra precautions being taken against earthquakes," he said.
''Many elements that were disassembled have been repaired and restored after in-depth examinations and research, taking into consideration scientific reports and historical records," the minister added.
Elaborating on the work around the platform, Ersoy said that connecting the pilings and the platform with steel reinforcements will be one of the final steps.
"Then the top will be covered, and the platform will be ready. In particular, the gaps at the points where the pilings are located and those close to the building will be filled with little rubber insulators, allowing the three separate structures to move independently during earthquakes for safety," Ersoy added.
As the restoration process reaches its final stage, the top of the Maiden's Tower is already being unveiled, resolving the assumptions and public inquiries about the status of the restoration of the historic landmark sitting off the coast of the Üsküdar district on the Anatolian side of Istanbul.
The Maiden's Tower, located on an islet 200 meters (656 feet) off the shoreline, is believed to have been built in 1110 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus as a wooden structure protected by a stone wall. The structure was renovated to its current state in the late 1720s and served as an observation tower during the Ottoman Empire.
Ersoy explained that the Maiden's Tower would serve as a museum for future generations. Similar to other iconic structures abroad, the Maiden's Tower will be put into service as a tower museum rather than being a location for dining and will primarily serve domestic and international visitors.
Noting that the period of "the most robust documentation" regarding the historical tower was the period of Ottoman Sultan Mahmut II, Ersoy said: "The face (of the Maiden's Tower) we are accustomed to seeing is the face that should not have been seen. Our eyes got used to it because we have been seeing its untrue face for years. Now it has been restored to its original form seen in the original paintings from the period of Mahmut II."
"For several years, we have been looking at the tower from Istanbul, and now we will watch Istanbul from the Maiden's Tower," he concluded.
