The Maiden’s Tower, or in Turkish Kız Kulesi, located in the Asian part of Istanbul, on a small island in the Bosphorus, has become one of the city’s most popular attractions. According to legend, the tower got its name due to the fact that the daughter of the Sultan lived in it, whom he wanted to protect from a deadly prophecy. According to one version, the prince saved the girl on her birthday: he sucked out the poison of a snake that attacked the Sultan’s daughter.
The lighthouse on the tower appeared only after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, and before that the building was used as a watchtower. The best view of the tower and the lighthouse is from the pier in Uskudar, where you can have a romantic sunset picnic.