No Runway
It was from Galata Tower, now part of Istanbul, that the first intercontinental flight took off. Ahmed Çelebi was an Ottoman scientist who experimented with winged flight until one time in 1638, with the assistance of southwest winds, he jumped off the top of the Galata Tower (in Europe) and soared about 2 miles over the Bosphorus Strait and landed in Üsküdar (in Asia, also now part of Istanbul). The Sultan of the time awarded him with a sack of gold … and exile to Algeria: “A man to be feared, whatever he wishes, he can do. He can not stay“.
The tower was built in 1348 and stands just shy of 220 feet tall. The roof was replaced in the mid-1960s.
When I see structures like these I always go back in time, in my mind, and think about how they were actually constructed. For me it is like a little kid at recess. I get to forget about now and enjoy what was.
I know what it would take to build this structure today, and understand the substitution of massive manual human and animal labor then for electrical and diesel power today.
The wooden scaffolding and temporary bracing, and sand and rubble infill alone would be breath taking.
But it is the many tiers of managers, men overseeing other men, animals, equipment, and materials and the logistics of coordination everyday, rain or shine that knocks me out. I wonder if I, with my half a century of experience, could take on such an endeavor. I have my doubts. It’s a long, long way from here back to there.
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The nine-story tower is 205.3 ft tall, excluding the ornament on the top.
The observation deck is at 169.5 ft.
The tower is 200 ft above sea-level.
It has an external diameter of 54.0 ft at the base, an inside diameter of 29.4 ft, and walls that are 12.3 ft thick.
Then there is the Great Wall of China, visible from way above the world, the Parthenon, the Coliseum, churches, cathedrals and abbeys on treacherous mountain tops and in remote valleys, Easter Island, Stone Henge… and many more.
Humankind’s inspiration from God, Nature, The Seasons, has driven incredible art and innovation (as well as wreaking havoc).
There is just too little time to see it all, but it is well worth taking the time to admire and reflect upon it even from afar.