Introduction: Galata Tower

A photograph of Galata Tower in 1857

A panoramic photograph of the Port of Istanbul taken from the Galata Tower

A map of Galata in 1922

One of Istanbul’s iconic sites is Galata Tower. Distinctive in the city’s skyline, the tower is a Romanesque cylindrical stone structure capped with a cone, located in the Galata neighborhood in the city. Originally constructed as a watchtower in the Byzantine Era, the tower has been repurposed and reconstructed throughout time (1). Both tradition and modernity are associated with the tower, leading to a complex, composite memory of the site. In “Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire”, Pierre Nora presents the concept of a lieu de mémoire, discussing the connections between culture and history. Nora states that

"Our interest in lieux de mémoire where memory crystallizes and secretes itself has occurred at a particular historical moment, a turning point where consciousness of a break with the past is bound up with the sense that memory has been torn—but torn in such a way as to pose the problem of the embodiment of memory in certain sites where a sense of historical continuity persists" (2).

Nora’s idea of a lieu de mémoire translates to locations that maintain some consistency, but have dynamic associations or memories over time. In this sense, Galata Tower is a powerful example of a lieu de mémoire, holding an enormous amount of historical and cultural significance. Through its multiple physical reconstructions in different historical eras, the tower has adapted to different cultures and uses. Its physical reconstruction is representative of its changing function in Istanbul and its understanding as a lieu de mémoire.