LENDER'S TOWER
Lender's Tower ( Maiden's Tower ) stands on a tiny island at the entrance of The Bosphorus.
The Turkish name is derived from a legend. According to the legend, the sultan had this tower built in order to secure his daughter from a prophesy that she would die from the poison of a serpent. The princess was eventually bitten by a poisonous serpent, smuggled out to the islet in a basket of grapes.
In the West European version, the name of the tower is Lander's Tower. According to a legend Lander drowned there in his attempt to swim the strait to see his lover, Hero.
The Emperor Manuel Comnenus built a small fortress around it in the twelfth century. It was used as a lighthouse and a customs control point.
The present building dates from the eighteenth century. It has recently been remodeled and converted into a cafe and restaurant