Restoration begins on Treasury Tower at Istanbul’s Yedikule Fortress

ISTANBUL

Restoration work has begun on the Treasury Tower at Yedikule Fortress, one of Istanbul’s significant historical landmarks, the district municipality has announced.

The project marks a new phase in the broader conservation efforts underway at the centuries-old fortress, which occupies a prominent place in the city’s Ottoman and Byzantine heritage.

According to Fatih Municipality, the restoration focuses on the Treasury Tower, a structure of strategic importance during the Ottoman period, when it was used to safeguard state treasures and war spoils.

The tower forms part of Yedikule Fortress, a fortified complex originally built in the late Roman and early Byzantine eras and later expanded by the Ottomans following the conquest of Istanbul in 1453.

Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergün Turan said Yedikule Fortress is not only one of Istanbul’s symbolic monuments but also among the world’s oldest open-air museums. “Our restoration work at Yedikule is continuing with great care,” Turan said, noting that the Treasury Tower occupies a special place in the site’s historical narrative as a repository of imperial wealth during the Ottoman era.

Turan added that detailed on-site examinations have been carried out in consultation with a scientific advisory board composed of experts in architecture, archaeology and conservation.

The restoration process, he said, is being conducted in line with international conservation principles, with the aim of preserving the tower’s original identity and historical fabric.

“Protecting Istanbul’s heritage by placing science and collective expertise at the center of our work remains our guiding principle,” he said.

Once the restoration is completed, the Treasury Tower is expected to be refunctioned in a way that contributes to Yedikule Fortress’s preservation strategy as a whole and visitor experience.