Mardalic Island Genoese Tower

Dikili / İzmir

Mardalic Island Genoese Tower

It is the larger of the two islands opposite Çınar Cape, which is the extension of the Karadağ volcanic mass to the Aegean Sea. It is marked as St. George island on British naval charts. This roof, which is used for observation today, is completely destroyed, and the area at the base, which is used as a dungeon, is still standing.


The history

In 1357, Genoese Francesco Gattilusia declared the Beylik of Lesbos. In the 14th and 15th centuries the Genoese controlled the entire northern Aegean from Enez to Çandarlı. The Genoese, who tried to increase their power by making political marriages while paying taxes to the Ottoman Empire chose Mardalic island to build a watchtower outside the city. The island, which has a strategic location, has a very good visibility, which has enabled the construction of an important defense fortress for attacks by venetian pirates on the North Aegean coasts. The Gattilusias built the tower with a floor area of 15x15 square meters and a wall thickness of 3.5 meters and placed a roof of approximately 15 meters on the island, where there are two Byzantine chapel ruins and Roman baths in the inner bay closed to the winds.

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