Maiden's Tower Traditional Cache
maveraunnehir: please archieve
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I was surprised that this neat view hasn't been awarded by a cache yet. When the tourists think of istanbul, Hagia Sofia comes to their mind. it is Maiden's tower for the Turks. well, it is open to discussion :)
The previous cache was muggled even before it was found by someone. This time, I even placed it to a more crowded spot. It is in front of the pier to the tower; One of the best cache views that you will see in Istanbul. It is a magnetic micro cache.
there are various legends about the tower.
The first story about Maiden's Tower is based on the love of Hero and Leandros which was recorded by Ovidius. Hero was a nun from the temple of Aphrodite and prohibited to love, therefore, she was placed to a tower to be protected from men. However, one day she left the tower for a ritual at the temple and on her way back she came across with Leandros. The passionate and melancholic glance of Leandros affected Hero from deep inside. Hero and Leandros fell in love with each other and had the feeling that their heart will not beat for someone else again.
They blessed their love after Leandros' visit to the tower at night. The Tower was the witness of these young lovers and its lighthouse was guiding only the heart of Leandros. The only fear of Hero was the anger of goddess. On a stormy night, when Leandros was swimming to reach the tower, ever-winking light of the lighthouse got faded and he drowned at Bosphorus. In the morning, Hero saw the dead body of Leandros at the shore and she left herself down from the tower.
the second story is as follows;
The Byzantine Emperor had a baby girl and the birthday of the girl was announced as feast with great celebrations all around the country. After years, the emperor asked erudite to prepare his daughter to his throne as a well educated girl. However, one of the oracular told the emperor that his daughter would be bitten by a snake and die before she reaches her 18th birthday. Therefore, the emperor reconstructed that tower located on a small island and placed her daughter there for protecting her from the hazard of the snakes.
Years passed, the girl almost reached to her 18th birthday, however, as showing that destiny is unavoidable, the girl was bitten by a snake that sneaked into the tower in a grape basket. The emperor was shocked. He rejected to bury his daughter into ground with a thought that snakes might not leave her alone in her grave as well. He embalmed the dead body of the girl and laid her in an iron coffin.
The iron coffin was placed onto the entrance of Hagia Sophia. There are still two holes on this coffin which proves that snakes did not leave her alone even after her death.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre gur yrsg pbeare bs gur orapu.
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