Technobird is in Türkiye TECHNOBIRD IS IN TÜRKİYE | Page 15

1.5. Bahar ETEŞ-Vali Rıdvan Yenişen Primary School
The Maiden’s Tower
One day while Vali Rıdvan Yenişen Primary School 4th grade students and their English
teacher Bahar ETEŞ were reading their books in the garden , a strange bird came near
them by telling something. They were shocked:
-Are you a bird?
+ Yes, I’m.
-But, How can you speak?
+ Forget about all the birds you know. I ‘m “Techno bird” and I’m the most clever,
curious and cool bird in the word. I walk all around your country to see interesting and
historical places. Now I’m in your city . Which place should I visit in your city? Can
you help me?
-Of course, Techno Bird. It is our pleasure. We would like to visit “ The Maiden’s
Tower” with you. Let’s go. 
The Maiden’s Tower ( Kizkulesi ) is located off the coast of Salacak neighborhood
in Üsküdar district, at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus. It dates back to the 5th century
BC.
It’s name comes from a legend According to the legend there was a princess who was
locked up in the tower by her father. She was locked because a prophecy said her
father that the princess would die by a snake bite at the age of 18. Although her father
put her in the tower he couldn’t manage to save his daughter. A snake hidden in a fruit
basket caused her die.
There is another legend about the tower. So, sometimes it is called as “Leander's Tower".
This legend is a sad love story. Hero was one of the priestess of Aphrodite living in the
tower. One day she went to a ceremony in the temple. She met Leandros there and they fall in
love with each other. Leandros swam to the tower every night to visit his love, meanwhile she
was holding a torch to guide him in the dark waters towards her in the tower. But on a stormy
night Leandros couldn't see the light because it was put out by the winds, and he swam all night
loosing his way until he was drowned. Hero, seeing that her lover died, she also jumped into the
water and suicided. Actually, this story took place in the city of Abydos in the straight
of Dardanelles not on the Bosphorus.
Last legend belongs to a Turkish hero Battal Gazi. Accorting to this legend , when
Battal Gazi came to surround Istanbul(Constantinopoli) he fell in love with a daughter of
the landlord. He couldn’t manage to surround the city and he stayed the tower for seven
years because of his love. Because the landlord was afraid of Battal Gazi abducting his
daughter , he put his daughter in prison , in tower.At the end of the story, Battal Gazi on his
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