Eirene Tower Art Gallery
It is located in the third courtyard (Sagir Han) of Valide Han on Çakmakçılar Yokuşu in Eminönü. It is thought to be a watchtower from the Middle Byzantine period. Pierre Gilles (Gyllius), a French traveler who came to Istanbul in the 16th century, was the first to mention the tower and gave it the name Eirene.
It is used as an art gallery. Although the history and purpose of the tower are unknown, there are rumors that it was used as a watchtower, church, chapel, dungeon, and treasury during the Middle Byzantine period. It also has a dome with 24 recesses in its architecture, referred to as a “ribbed dome.”
