This Greek city, spread around the Thermaikos Gulf, has always enjoyed increased popularity among tourists from all over the world. During a vacation in Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη) everyone is given a unique opportunity to get acquainted not only with the wonderful nature, but also with historical sights. World-famous monuments tell of the legendary past of the “bride of Thermaica,” as locals lovingly call the cultural capital of Greece.
Sad holiday
The second largest city in the country, founded in 315 BC, is famous for its heritage, but the most famous corner is a visiting card of the Greek capital of Macedonia. Every year on March 25, Greece celebrates the feast of independence from the Ottoman yoke. In Thessaloniki this fun day is celebrated with sadness and tears in his eyes. The fact is that Macedonia was liberated last, and with it - the tormented ancient city, which survived for several centuries a lot of grief and pain.
On this day, the White Tower (Thessaloniki) becomes a place of true pilgrimage. City residents come here with Greek flags in their hands and pray for those who died fighting for the independence of their beloved country. And to this day, no one can tell the exact number of people executed in the cellars of the tower, which received the terrible nickname "bloody".
When did the business card appear?
Λευκός Πύργος - the most recognizable urban building, the first information about which can be found in the works of I. Kameniat. Despite the fact that the tower is called "white", the color of its stone walls is still gray.
The clergyman spoke about how, in 904, Arab pirates captured and destroyed the city, casually mentioning a fortified tower with no name, located next to the fortress wall. True, not everyone agrees that it is the White Tower (Thessaloniki) that is mentioned in the annals, because by that time, wooden structures that had been burned down in the fire were also built.
A new mention of the building is found in the records of Archbishop Efstathios. He notes the tower overlooking the sea, describing the attack of pirates of Norman origin in 1185 on the city.
In the historical chronicles of the 15th century, records about a certain tower of Samarinas are found. It is noted that in 1430, under the rule of the Venetians, the long-suffering city of Thessaloniki passed to the Turks.
White Tower: History
The question of when the visiting card of the tourist center actually appeared remains open, and the exact date has not been established.
Traveler from Turkey E. Tselebi indicates that the construction was most likely erected in the 16th century, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. However, not all historians agree with this version. The White Tower - the symbol of Thessaloniki - was built much earlier by the Venetians or Byzantines, and the great commander and statesman only restored the ancient defensive structure. Initially, it was part of the fortification complex and connected to the city walls, demolished in the last century.
The construction, which was compared with a lion
The theory of scientists was confirmed by the Arabic inscription, which has not been preserved to this day. The words about the fact that in the era of the ruler the great power was strengthened and the tower protecting the city, spewing fire, became formidable like a lion, were beaten out on a historical monument. An allegory with the king of beasts symbolized the greatness and strength not only of Suleiman, but also of the fortification on which the guns were installed. Their firepower inspired fear in all opponents.
Greek footprint
Historians who have found a Greek trace in the mysterious history of the appearance of the defensive structure suggest that the White Tower (Thessaloniki) was erected in 1535 on the site of old Byzantine buildings.
There is an assumption that the famous architect M. Sinan, who built a similar tower on the territory of modern Albania, designed the same in Thessaloniki. Born at the end of the 15th century, the son of a poor bricklayer built more than 300 structures. The Turkish conquerors sought to pursue a military career, rather than engage in peaceful crafts, so the talented Greek was recognized as the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire.
Venetian trail
Another suggestion was made regarding the erection of the symbol of Thessaloniki. Specialists studied the historical records and established that after 1430, when the Turks captured the city, large-scale construction of a defensive complex, a fortification that protected the harbor from attacks, began. Despite the fact that the Venetian craftsmen helped the builders, the monument was made in the best traditions of Muslim architecture.
The building was used as a barracks for soldiers, and later turned into a prison.
Bloody tower
In the XIX century, unrest began, which led to a liberation movement against the Ottomans. The Turks brutally crushed the uprising, and in 1826 they executed about three thousand inhabitants.
The white tower in Thessaloniki was stained with the blood of the unfortunate prisoners who had been tortured for a long time in its casemates. The stone structure was used as a prison for those who were sentenced to death. Repression and terror continued, and more than 25,000 urban residents were tortured to death.
Two versions regarding the name of the fortification
At the end of the XIX century, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire came across a message about the reprisals in the tower and was horrified. He gave the order to do everything so that henceforth the fortress was not associated with blood, and the authorities were not equated with autocratic. The fort was immediately painted with lime and ordered to call the fortification Beyaz-Kule - the White Tower.
There is another version of why the fortification got its name. When Thessaloniki came under the control of Greece, political changes also affected the tower. Residents destroyed the stone fence, which was surrounded by the attraction, thus leaving in the last years of the occupation and marking the victory of good over evil. The authorities issued a decree to repaint the building in a snow-white color, which symbolizes the cleansing of the city from centuries of suffering. Over time, the lime washed away, and now the local population says that the building has the color of buffalo.
Symbol of independence
In 1912, after the liberation of the city, when Northern Greece gained its independence, the historical monument was in municipal ownership and served as a radio beacon. In the 90s, it was transferred to the Ministry of Culture of the country. Now it houses the Thessaloniki Museum with multimedia displays, which provide a full description of the events taking place over the centuries.
The White Tower (Thessaloniki), the architectural features of which surprise tourists, breaks all records of visits. Perhaps this is the strangest symbol of the city - a nondescript low structure, and even built by the invaders during the occupation.
Historical monument
A stone structure 27 meters high rises in a small garden on the outskirts of the seaside promenade. The white tower has the shape of a cylinder with a diameter of 23 meters, and on its top there is a small observation deck six meters high, which offers a fantastically beautiful view of the coastal part of the cultural capital of Greece.
Opened from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the historical monument hosts a huge number of guests, among whom are many of our compatriots and Israelis. The well-preserved Ottoman fortification, 27 meters high, carries visitors several centuries ago.
Thessaloniki White Tower: reviews
Every evening, local young people gather around the attraction, and foreign guests go on a small boat moored nearby to take a city tour. Travelers admit that this is a very powerful building, making a lasting impression. Visitors recommend to take an audio guide to learn a lot about Greece and Thessaloniki.
Convenient benches are located near the tower, on which it is so pleasant to relax in the shade. It is especially beautiful here in the evening, when the sun's rays gilded the stone walls and play on the surface of the sea.
Tourists say that in every gift shop on all postcards, mugs, magnets a tower is depicted, and even commemorative coins are issued, on which the symbol of the sovereignty of Macedonia flaunts.
A wonderful city where every stone tells a centuries-old history, and modern monuments coexist with the ancients, it surprises with a special atmosphere. Here the hearts of tourists freeze, catching the faint breath of time. Residents remember the bloody events and each year pay tribute to local heroes who tried to free their homeland from the invaders.