The Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi) is smaller than most people expect. It sits on a tiny islet just off the Üsküdar shore, and in photos it can look like an island of its own with the whole city behind it. These are photos of the Maiden’s Tower after restoration: it reopened in May 2023 after work that began in 2021, and every photo on this page shows it in its restored state. We visited as a family in February 2025 and took the photos ourselves: the first two from the boat and the next one from the island. The balcony photo near the end, also taken on the island, is from an earlier visit in July 2024.
Below: what the tower looks like from the water and up close, what our visit was like, and a few framing notes if you want to take your own. For tickets and boats, see our Maiden’s Tower visiting guide.
What our visit was like
You reach the islet on small passenger boats. On our February 2025 visit we could stay on the island for about an hour, and visitors who wanted to stay longer were able to. Besides a few security staff, the people there were visitors. We were free to take photos, and we could walk around almost every part of the island. Inside the tower, stairs also lead up to the upper floors.
This is what we experienced on our own visit in February 2025. Rules, time limits and boat schedules can change, so check with the operator before you go.
What you see from the water
From a distance the tower reads as three parts:
- The islet. A low stone platform with a white-and-grey paved edge and a small pier on the right.
- The bastion. A battlemented stone block at the base of the tower, with a small door at ground level.
- The tower itself. A slim stone shaft, a white balcony ring, and a grey conical dome topped with a flagpole.
In this frame a small red-and-white beacon stands at the left edge of the islet, and a low white building also sits to the right of the tower. Behind it the European shore runs along the horizon, so many photos of the tower end up showing the city skyline too.
What it looks like up close
Standing on the island next to the wall, the tower stops looking like a postcard. You see the rough stone courses, the crenellations of the bastion, and the underside of the balcony, which projects well beyond the shaft. A wide-angle phone lens exaggerates the lean of the tower when you point it upward, so stepping back or holding the phone level keeps the lines straighter.
Light and weather
The sky in our photos is heavily overcast. Because of that, the stone looks evenly lit with no hard shadows, and the grey dome and white balcony stay readable. On a bright day, however, the sky behind the tower can wash out, so an overcast day is not a bad one for photographing it.
Framing tips from these photos
- Include the base. The bastion and islet edge give the tower scale, because a tight shot of the dome alone could be anywhere.
- Watch the flag. The flagpole is the tallest line in the frame. Leave a little sky above it so it is not cut off.
- Mind the foreground. Poles, railings and boat or island structures can cut across the tower. Move a step or two until the line clears.
- Keep the horizon level. The water gives you a long straight line, so a tilted phone is obvious.
Maiden’s Tower after restoration: what changed
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which ran the project, the restoration began in 2021 and finished on 11 May 2023, when the tower reopened to visitors. The work removed later additions, including a steel roof and mezzanine added to the courtyard in the 1990s and steel bands fixed to the outer walls in the late 1990s, and uncovered battlements that had disappeared. The restoration replaced the concrete laid in the 1940s with original and natural materials. Source: the ministry’s Kız Kulesi restoration page, last checked 28 October 2026.
The tower has needed repairs many times over its long history, often after earthquakes. In addition, the ministry lists those repairs on its history of repairs page. The best-known legend, about a princess and a snake, is a folk tale, not a documented event, and people tell it in many versions.
If you want to visit rather than photograph
This page is about what the tower looks like and what our visit was like. For tickets, boat times and fees, see our Maiden’s Tower visiting guide. For other places to photograph the city, see Best Photo Spots in Istanbul.
FAQ
Was the Maiden’s Tower closed for restoration? Yes. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the restoration began in 2021 and finished on 11 May 2023, when the tower reopened.
Can you take photos on the island? On our February 2025 visit, we could take photos. Check the operator for current rules, though.
How long can you stay on the island? We could stay about an hour, and visitors who wanted more time could stay longer. Check the operator for current rules.
Can you go up inside the tower? Yes, on our visit stairs led up to the upper floors.
