The Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye
The Maiden’s Tower is a small tower on an islet that was actually built by Athenians on a rock 200 m from the coast of Üsküdar in 408 BC. The construction of the original tower took place in 1110, during the rule of Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus. It was a wooden tower with a surrounding stone wall, and another defense wall linked the islet to the Asiatic shore. It served as a watchtower and a garrison during the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. However, it could not survive the earthquake of 1509. Later, it was rebuilt in 1721 and was used as a lighthouse, and a quarantine station until the 19th century.
The origin name of the tower comes from a story in which an oracle prophesied that a venomous snake would kill the emperor’s beloved daughter on her 18th birthday. So, in order to protect his daughter, the emperor had a tower built on the Bosphorus and locked the girl there. Only the emperor could visit her, and on her 18th birthday, he brought a basket of exotic fruits. However, an asp hidden in the basket bit the princess as the oracle had predicted.
Medieval Towers in Bologna, Italy
The Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan
The Minaret of Jam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is currently in danger of collapse in western Afghanistan. The construction of the 65 m (213 ft) high minaret took place around 1190 and is famous for its intricate brick, stucco, and glazed tile decoration, which consists of geometric patterns, and verses from the Qur’an.
The Octagon Tower of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England
Vainakh Towers in Chechnya and Ingushetia
Vijay Stambh or the Victory Tower in Rajasthan, India
