Galata Tower was built by the Genoese in 1348 as a watchtower and fortification, to replace an earlier Byzantine tower. The tower was later used as a fire observation post. The tower was damaged by fire and repaired in 1794 and again in 1831. The tower was damaged by a storm in 1875 and was without its conical top until repairs in the 1960s. Today the tower is open to the public as a tourist attraction.