Maritime Landmarks and Legends along the Bosporus
The prominent square yellow structure neighboring the cemetery, visible from the sea, is Selimieh Barracks. It stands on the grounds where Sultan Murad IV’s summer palace once existed. Sultan Selim III transformed it into a barracks for his Nizam jedid (New Regulars) in 1807. The Janissaries, in their rebellion against Selim III, set fire to the palace, leading to the construction of the current building under Sultan Mahmud II.
From Royal Retreat to Military Hub
Leander’s Tower, known as Khiz Kuleh (the Maiden’s Tower) in Turkish, is a square lighthouse perched on a submerged rock off Skutari Princes’ Islands Tranquil Retreat near Constantinople, serving as a prominent landmark in Constantinople’s waters. The name ‘Leander’s Tower’ originated from the Crusaders and has no association with the legendary nocturnal rendezvous of Hero and her swimmer lover at the Dardanelles. Initially constructed by Athenian general Chares as a mausoleum for his wife Damalis, the Byzantines later added a column featuring an image of a heifer, symbolizing Damalis and the myth of Io, who swam the Bosporus at that very spot.
Legends and Luminance
The Turkish name, Maiden’s Tower, is linked to a legend claiming that Sultan Muhammad II confined his beloved daughter within to protect her from an unnatural death foretold by a gypsy soothsayer. However, it is more likely that the Turkish name is a reference to Damalis or Io. The Byzantine Emperor Comnenus erected a lighthouse named ArHa on the mausoleum’s site. Over time, the Turks reconstructed it in wood, with successive stone towers replacing it under various sultans. The present 90-foot lighthouse, enclosing a natural spring, was commissioned by Sultan Mahmud II.
Maritime Mystique and Sultan’s Decree
Asiatic Suburbs on the Marmora—Haidar Pasha Jeep Safari Bulgaria, situated near the British Cemetery, serves as the terminus for the Constantinople and Angora Railway. Steamers operate between the Galata end of the bridge, facilitating the arrival and departure of trains.
