Maiden's Tower, Turkey

-

A Seriously Old Lighthouse


Technically, the Maiden's Tower (aka Kiz Kulesi) is actually just a tower that, for a time, was used as a lighthouse, but still...

PC: Trey Ratcliff*

The exact construction date isn't known, but according to its website, some sources have dated the origins of the tower structure to go back as far as 341 BC! That, by my standards, is ridiculously old.

Apparently, the tower served many purposes throughout the past 25 centuries. So far, it's been a tax collection office (like a port terminal, controlling ships entering and exiting the harbour), defense fortress, military base, demonstration platform, lighthouse, quarantine hospital, and a radar station (to control sea and air traffic).

Any building this old, won't survive on luck alone, and there have been many restorative operations executed, but on 16 December 1993, another massive restoration project was launched and in 2000 the Tower was finally reopened as a tourist venue where you can now visit the museum, or have breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, weddings, etc.

Some more pretty pictures of the Tower from a Board dedicated to Kiz Kulesi.



*One of my favourite photographers out there. Watch his TedTalk.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mykines Lighthouse, Faroe Islands

-
Image
The Mykines Holm lighthouse was built in 1909, but it wasn't the Faroes' first. The first lighthouse was lit way over on the other side of the Faroe Islands in 1782, on the northern part of Nolsoy . Towards the end of the second industrial revolution (a few years before the first world war), it looks like the construction bug bit the Faroe people, because they built the first bridge over  Holmgjogv , as well as the first path from Mykines Bygd   (the  village ) to Mykines Holm (the lighthouse islet) in the same year that they constructed Mykines Holm Lighthouse. There have been twenty-one lighthouses on the islands to date (give or take a few that had to be rebuilt over the years). During World War II all three manned lighthouses - Akraberg, Mykines and Nolsoy, were attacked (bombed). After the war ended in 1945, it took three years to set things in order, rebuild, and clean up the islands. PC: KE Adventure Travel Did You Know? Apparently the summer nigh
Read more

Dark Side of the Cookie

-
Image
If there's one type of weird I find it very hard to love, it's the weird people go to great lengths to manufacture - for attention. Yolandi's body is SICK and I think the dealer is cute (although I would've loved to see more teeth), but they just try way too hard. I don't know. I'm probably missing something.
Read more

I Will Wait

-
Image
Inspired by Krista Williams' 'God's Promise to Abram' on First5 , I want to share with you what I've learned today. God's promises are unchangeable and eternal, and through Jesus Christ, we've already been blessed to receive them. ['He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. ' - Gal 3 :14] All we have to do is obey, wait, and (through unwavering trust in God) drive away the vultures of doubt, fear, and discouragement. This led me to look into what exactly His covenant blessings are and it's all good news, people! THE OLD COVENANT(S): 1. God's covenant with Noah [ ' 18  But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.  19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive wi
Read more