James Bond in Turkey – the Maiden’s Tower

In the 1999 James Bond movie The World is Not Enough – yes, the same one that featured Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist – 007 spends some time chasing the bad guys through Turkey: a place that I have never been but would love to visit.

One of the pivotal scenes of the movie takes place in the Maiden’s Tower: also known as Leander’s Tower. Sitting on a small islet, the tower is located at the southern entrance of Bosporus strait just off the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey.

Maiden's Tower in Turkey - by Ozan Danışman

Maiden's Tower in Turkey - by Ozan Danışman

(a special thanks to Ozan Danışman for letting me use his outstanding image of Turkey’s Maiden Tower until I make it there to photograph it for myself).

But what was the movie about? According to Universal Exports: The Home of James Bond, 007:

From the banks of the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain, to a spectacular high-speed boat chase up London’s River Thames and through the highlands of Scotland, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan, in his third appearance in the role of the world’s best-known secret agent) barely survives a potential nuclear explosion in a vast oil pipeline in Turkey – all in the name of protecting beautiful oil heiress Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) from notorious international terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle).

If you happen to be in Istanbul checking out the Maiden’s Tower, don’t miss out on all the other beautiful tourist destinations within the country: like hopping on one of the many flights to Dalaman Turkey.

Finally, check out one of my favorite James Bond locations that I’ve actually been to – James Bond Island in Thailand.

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