White Tower, Thessaloniki. The White Tower is the symbol of the capital of northern Greece - the city of Thessaloniki.

White Tower in Thessaloniki - an architectural monument and a museum in coastal region city ​​of Thessaloniki, Greece. The tower, although called "white", has the color of buff. It houses the Museum of Byzantium and is one of the main attractions of the city. Macedonia Palace Hotel is located not far from the White Tower.

Originally built by the Turks as a defensive structure, the White Tower has become sadly famous prison and a place of mass executions. It was substantially reconstructed and whitewashed after the city came under Greek rule in 1912.

The former "Bloody Tower" became the "White Tower" that we know today. It has become a symbol of the city, as well as a symbol of the Greek sovereignty of Macedonia.

architectural features

The white tower has the shape of a cylinder with a diameter of 23 meters and a height of 27 meters. At the top of the tower there is a turret with a diameter of 12 meters and a height of 6 meters.

Some of the outer wall embrasures are accessed from a spiral ramp, while others are accessed from a central hall on each of the six floors.

On the roof of the upper turret there is a platform with a diameter of 10 meters. Around the turret there is a platform about 5 meters wide.

Over time, the tower was radically reconstructed. According to early depictions, the roof of the tower was cone-shaped, as in the Yediküle and Rumelihisar fortresses in Istanbul.

Until 1917, a kameez stood at the foot of the tower, protecting an area three times the diameter of the tower and covering heavy guns. The octagonal turrets of the kameez and caponiers made it possible to fire on the approaches to the tower. It is not clear whether the kameez was originally built or was added later.

Story

For a long time it was believed that the tower, covering the eastern flank of the city walls, was built by the Venetians, to whom Byzantium ceded the city in 1423. But now it is known for certain that it was built by the Turks after the army of Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki in 1430.

Until 1912, there was an inscription in the Ottoman language on the wall of the tower, dating the construction to 942 Hijri (1535-1536). Historian Franz Babinger believed that the tower was built by the great Ottoman architect Sinan, who is known for the authorship of many fortifications, including a similar tower in the Albanian port of Valona in 1537. It is possible that the White Tower was built on the site old tower, built by the Byzantines and mentioned in the XII century in the writings of Archbishop Eustathius of Thessalonica.

The White Tower was successively used by the Ottomans as a fort, barracks and prison. In 1826, by decree of Sultan Mahmud II, a massacre of prisoners was carried out here. After that, it received the name "Bloody Tower" or "Red Tower", which it carried until the end of the 19th century.

The tower has been part of the city wall of Thessaloniki for many centuries. It separated the Jewish quarter of the city from the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries. The city walls were demolished in 1866. After the First Balkan War, in 1912, the tower was whitewashed, which was a symbolic gesture depicting the "cleansing" of the tower. From that moment, the tower acquired today's name. In March 1913, King George I of Greece was assassinated near the White Tower.

The observation deck on the White Tower is one of the attractions of Thessaloniki, which must be put at the top of the list! Ticket price for the White Tower.

A stone giant built by the Venetians and became a bloody symbol of Turkish domination. The structure that served as the border between residential areas and the Necropolis - " city ​​of the dead". And finally, the "apple of discord" between and Macedonia. All this is about the White Tower, the unspoken symbol of the Greek city of Thessaloniki and its rich history.

Being part of the city walls, this historical monument was destined to survive even after the destruction of the "stone ring". In the Middle Ages, one view of the White Tower evoked sacred horror and awe among the townspeople - after all, cruel Ottomans were terribly tortured and executed here. At that time, this structure was destined to become the "Bloody Tower".

The White Tower is the symbol of the city and the best Observation deck Thessaloniki!

The stone symbol of Thessaloniki managed to wash away the sins of the past only in the 20th century, when the outer wall of the tower was painted white, as if as a sign of the beginning of a new life for this architectural structure.

Today, the White Tower does not live up to its name, as traces of white paint have long since disappeared from the surface of the centuries-old stone. But for the residents of the city and numerous tourists of Thessaloniki, this symbol remains the very embodiment of the city, its history and the fate of many generations who lived here. And still this symbol is white, albeit only in the minds of people.

From the upper observation deck of the White Tower, a wonderful view of the bay and city ​​embankment. Here, under the monotonous stories of guides, one can imagine what important and sometimes bloody events unfolded in front of this stone giant and how much he had to endure. On the lower floors of the white tower there is a museum Byzantine culture. It can be visited for a fee.

How to get to the White Tower

You can get to the White Tower from the center of Thessaloniki by bus number 3, 10, 11, 12, 31, 39. Stop "Stratigio" - Museum of Byzantine Culture. If you are coming from the western side of the city, follow routes No. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 31, 58.

For more information and changes, please visit the official website: lpth.gr (Greek and English).

Ticket prices for the White Tower:

• full ticket - 4 €;
• concession ticket (including for children) - 2 €;
• from November to March - 2 € for everyone.

Ticket prices for the Museum of Byzantine Culture:

• full ticket - 8 €;
• concession ticket (including children) - 4 €;
• from November to March - 4 € for everyone.

Trying to draw and describe the sights of Greece is an entertaining activity, but also. at the same time ungrateful. A true museum open sky- this small country. Here are preserved unique monuments four millennia of the history of human development (according to the most approximate estimates). That's why wonderful places and exhibits are found in Hellas literally at every step, in every city.

Boasts centuries of history Greek city- Thessaloniki. It is the capital of many states in different periods. He saw the invasions of the Celts and Mongols, the laurels of the Macedonians and the strength of Rome, experienced five centuries of Turkish rule and survived countless uprisings of the local population. To this day, the sights of Thessaloniki look great: the basilica of the patron saint of the city - St. Demetrius, and the temple of Achiropyitos, and the churches of Hagia Sophia, Elijah Profitis, St. Catherine, the Holy Apostles, and the monastery of Vlatadov.

Terrible and beautiful history of the city - White Tower

The former terrible Turkish prison Lefkos-Pyrgos or the White Tower 27 meters high is the symbol of Thessaloniki, the brightest monument ancient architecture. At one time it was called the bloody tower. Along the seaside park Zoo, where this tower is located, the dividing line of the old part of the city from the new quarters runs. It was built by the Turks on the orders of Sultan Mahmud II in 1430 for the defense of the Kalamaria Fort, as a defensive structure: it was part of the city wall and covered eastern part Thessaloniki. It is believed that it was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan. Historians believe that it was erected on the site of an ancient Byzantine fortress. For a long time it was used as a barracks, then as a prison. After the demolition of the lower fort and city walls, it was painted white. Over time, it became similar to the color of ivory. Arranged in 1826, the massacre of prisoners turned the White Tower in red: because of the spilled blood. In 1912, she was whitewashed again, as if symbolically delivering her from a bloody past. Then the White Tower was transferred to the Byzantine Museum. Amazing collections of sculptures, fragments of mosaic floors and walls, frescoes and icons, coins and pottery - these are the components of the museum's exposition.

White Tower of Thessaloniki on the map of Thessaloniki

Trying to draw and describe the sights of Greece is an entertaining activity, but also. at the same time ungrateful. A true open-air museum is this small country. Unique monuments of four millennia of the history of human development have been preserved here (according to the most rough estimates). Therefore, wonderful places and exhibits are found in Hellas literally at every step..." />

Spread around the Thermaikos Gulf, it is invariably popular with tourists from all over the world. During a holiday in Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), everyone has a unique opportunity to get acquainted not only with wonderful nature, but also with historical sights. World-famous monuments tell about the legendary past of the "bride of Termaikou", as the 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 business card capital of Greek Macedonia. Every year on March 25, Greece celebrates independence from the Ottoman yoke. In Thessaloniki, this merry day is celebrated with sadness and tears in the eyes. The fact is that Macedonia was the last to be liberated, and with it the one who suffered ancient city who has endured a lot of grief and pain over several centuries.

On this day, the White Tower (Thessaloniki) becomes a place of real pilgrimage. City dwellers come here Greek flags in their hands and pray for those who died fighting for the independence of their beloved country. To this day, no one can say 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 is the most recognizable city 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 priest spoke about how in 904 Arab pirates captured and destroyed the city, casually mentioning a fortified tower without a 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 buildings had also been built that burned down in a fire.

A new mention of the building is found in the records of Archbishop Efstafios. It marks the tower overlooking the sea, describing an attack by pirates of Norman origin in 1185 on the city.

In the historical chronicles of the 15th century, records were found about a certain tower of Samarinas. It is noted that in 1430, the long-suffering city of Thessaloniki, which was under the rule of the Venetians, passed to the Turks.

White Tower: history

The question of when the business card actually appeared tourist center, remains open and no exact date has been set.

A traveler from Turkey, E. Tselebi, points out that the building was most likely erected in the 16th century, during the reign of the Sultan Ottoman Empire 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 the Byzantines, and the great commander and statesman only restored the ancient defensive structure. Initially, it was part of a fortification complex and was connected to the city walls demolished in the last century.

A structure that has been compared to a lion

The theory of scientists was confirmed by an Arabic inscription, which has not survived to this day. On the historical monument, the words were engraved that in the era of the ruler, the great power intensified, and the tower protecting the city, spewing fire, became formidable, like a lion. The allegory with the king of animals symbolized the greatness and strength not only of Suleiman, but also of the fortification on which the cannons were installed. Their firepower instilled fear in all opponents.

Greek trace

Historians who have found a Greek trace in mysterious history appearance defensive structure, suggest that the White Tower (Thessaloniki) was erected in 1535 on the site of old Byzantine buildings.

There is an assumption that famous architect M. Sinan, who erected on the territory of modern Albania similar tower, designed the same in Thessaloniki. Born at the end of the 15th century, the son of a poor bricklayer built more than 300 buildings. The Turkish conquerors sought to make a military career, and not engage in peaceful crafts, so the talented Greek was recognized as the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire.

Venetian footprint

Another suggestion has been made regarding the erection of the symbol of Thessaloniki. Experts studied the historical chronicles and found that after 1430, when the Turks captured the city, a large-scale construction of a defensive complex began - a fortification that protected the harbor from attacks. Despite the fact that the builders were assisted by Venetian craftsmen, 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 19th century, unrest began that led to a liberation movement against the Ottomans. The Turks brutally suppressed 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 were tortured for a long time in its casemates. stone structure used as a prison for those who were sentenced to death penalty. Repression and terror continued, and more than 25,000 city dwellers were tortured to death.

Two versions concerning the name of the fortification

At the end of the 19th century, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire came across a message about massacres in the tower and was horrified. He gave the order to do everything so that from now on the fortress would not be associated with blood, and the power would not be equated with despotic. The fort was immediately painted with lime and ordered to call the fortification Beyaz-Kule - the White Tower.

There is another version of why it got such a name. When Thessaloniki came under the control of Greece, political changes also affected the tower. Residents destroyed the stone fence that surrounded the landmark, thus leaving the years of occupation in the past 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 was washed away, and now local population says the building is buff.

Symbol of independence

In 1912, after the liberation of the city, when it gained its independence, historical monument was in municipal ownership and served as a radio beacon. In the 90s, it was handed over to the country's Ministry of Culture. Now it houses the Museum of Thessaloniki with multimedia exhibitions presenting Full description events that have taken place over the centuries.

White Tower (Thessaloniki), architectural features which surprise tourists, beats all records of visits. Perhaps this is the strangest symbol of the city - a nondescript low building, and even built by the invaders during the occupation.

Historical monument

The 27-metre-high stone building rises in a small garden on the edge 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 fantastic views beautiful view to the coastal area cultural capital Greece.

Open from 8.00 to 20.00, the historical monument receives a huge number of guests, among which there are many of our compatriots and Israelis. The perfectly preserved Ottoman fortification, 27 meters high, takes visitors back several centuries.

White Tower of Thessaloniki: Address, White Tower Reviews: 4.5/5

Every evening, local youth gather around the attraction, and foreign guests go on a small boat moored nearby for a tour of the city. Travelers admit that this is a very powerful structure that makes an indelible impression. Visitors recommend that you take an audio guide to learn a lot about Greece and Thessaloniki.

Near the tower there are comfortable benches, where it is so pleasant to relax in the shade. It is especially beautiful here in the evening, when the rays of the sun gild the stone walls and play on the surface of the sea.

Tourists say that in every souvenir shop, on all postcards, mugs, magnets, a tower is depicted, and even commemorative coins are issued, on which the symbol of Macedonian sovereignty flaunts.

Wonderful city where every stone tells centuries of history, A modern monuments coexist with the ancient ones, surprises with a special atmosphere. The hearts of tourists who have caught a barely noticeable breath of time freeze here. Residents remember the bloody events and every year they pay tribute to local heroes who tried to liberate their homeland from the invaders.

White Tower in Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki, Greece) - exposure, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.

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The White Tower in Thessaloniki is one of the main city attractions. Cooli Blanca, or Levkos-Pyrgos, stands on the coastal boulevard, in a pleasant green square, and today a museum is open in it. The modern building replaced the old Byzantine fortification, which was first mentioned in written sources in the 12th century, but later reconstructed by the Turks to protect the harbour. It became a famous prison and a place of mass executions during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.

It is a cylindrical tower 34 m high and 23 m in diameter. A turret 6 m high and 12 m in diameter is built on its top. central premises each of the six floors. The turret has a platform with a diameter of 10 m and another, on top of the main structure, with a diameter of 5 m.

Early illustrations have been preserved, which show that the tower was once covered with a conical roof, like the similar towers of Yedi-Kule and Rumelihisari in Istanbul. Until 1917, heavy artillery stood in front of the White Tower, and octagonal turrets and caponiers formed a protective chain around it.

After Greece gained control of the city in 1912, the tower was washed white from the outside and became a symbol of a renewed Thessaloniki.

For a long time it was believed that the White Tower was built by the Venetians, but now it is known for sure that the current building was erected on the site of an earlier one shortly after the city was captured by the troops of Sultan Murad II in 1430. Until 1912, a Turkish inscription with the date of construction - 1535-1536.

The Turks successfully used the tower as a fort, garrison and prison. For a long time it was part of the old city walls, separating the Jewish quarter from Muslim cemeteries. In 1826, on the orders of Sultan Mahmud II, a mass execution of rebel prisoners was arranged in it, after which the tower earned the name Bloody or Red (“Kanli-Kule”). After Greece gained control of the city in 1912, the tower was washed white from the outside and remodeled from the inside, and it has become a symbol of a renewed Thessaloniki.

The exposition of the museum is organized in a modern way, with multimedia applications and atmospheric pictures and sounds.

Today, the tower houses a museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki for various periods, opened by the city Museum of Byzantine Culture. The exhibitions on the first floor are dedicated to "professionals in the market", here are exhibited tools of jewelers, gunsmiths, glassblowers, etc., as well as old coins and a model of the city market. On the second floor, the exhibitions are related to travel and trade, and the exhibits tell about fairs, overseas travels, pilgrimages and performances.

White tower at night

On the third floor, the main focus is on showing the Byzantine dwelling as it was from the inside: its decoration, a typical Byzantine dinner and surroundings. One floor above, items of everyday personal life are exhibited, including slippers, cosmetics, perfumes, and jewelry. The theme of the upper floor is death and burial: it tells about burial customs and exhibits tombstones and sacred objects related to the cult.

Practical information

Address: Thessaloniki, 546 31.

The White Tower stands on the seaside Nikis Boulevard (Victory Street), near the Alexander Garden and about half a kilometer from the City Hall.

Opening hours: daily from 8:30 to 15:00, except Mondays. During the season, the museum opens at 8:00.

Prices on the page are for September 2018.