Galata Tower
Galata Tower is a 63-meter stone tower and museum built in 1349. It features Romanesque architecture and is part of The Genoese Maritime Network: Trading Posts and Fortifications from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. It is one of the 96 sights of Turkey listed on this site and is the 22nd most looked-up sight in the country on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
The best time to visit is during the summer months, such as July or August, when daily highs reach 26 °C to 27 °C and rainfall is at its lowest with about 3 to 4 rainy days. The winter months are cooler, with highs around 8 °C to 10 °C, and December is the wettest month with about 119 mm of rain. The tower is located 349 km from Ankara and 31 km from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport.
Visitors can combine a trip to the tower with nearby sites such as Beyoğlu, The Museum of Innocence, or the Golden Horn. Other nearby locations include the Süleymaniye Mosque and Topkapı Palace. The tower is open from 09:00 to 20:30. Entry costs 650 TL, and the site does not have wheelchair access.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 27 °C. The wettest is December, with about 119 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 8 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 10 |
| Average low, °C | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Rainfall, mm | 95 | 77 | 68 | 47 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 33 | 49 | 88 | 95 | 119 |
| Rainy days | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 12 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
