In 1909 the tower was struck by lightning during a storm, but suffered no serious damage. In 1923 the Fire Brigade was placed under the auspices of the Municipality. Until 1972, the tower was open to the public, but had to be closed to all except fire brigade personnel when the staircase proved unsafe. Tower is used to watch out for fires at. night. Information about fires at all times of day is relayed here via radio.
Air pollution can seriously reduce visibility, making the job of watching difficult at times.
This custom continued until 1934. Today, the tower is also used to give a weather forecast for the following day. At night, between 04.45 and 06.00 when the Ataturk and Galata bridges are closed to road traffic to let ships in and out of the Golden Horn, the ships are guided by lights on Beyazit Tower. A green light means that ships in the Golden Horn can sail into the Marmara Sea, and a red light that ships in the Marmara Sea can sail into the Golden Horn. Two red lights mean that the bridges are closed to shipping.