Leander’s Tower
This tower was built during the reign of Ahmed III. It is said to be the site of a Byzantine fortress built during the reign of the emperor Manuel Comnenos, which was itself on the site of a tower built off the coast of Salacak in 410 B.C., by the Athenian commander Alkibiades. The present tower has been used as a lighthouse since 1857.
The tower, also called the maiden’s tower, acquired this name through its connection with a legend of the Byzantine era. The emperor Constantine is said to have been told that his daughter would be killed by a snake bite, whereupon, he had her encarcarated in a tower, which was especially built for her off-shore. However, a snake hidden in a basket of fruit was accidentally carried to the tower and caused the death of the princess.
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