White Tower. White Tower, Thessaloniki
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 the city of Thessaloniki - was built much earlier by the Venetians or the Byzantines, and the great commander and statesman only restored the ancient fortification. 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 the appearance of a defensive structure, suggest that the White Tower (Thessaloniki) was built 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 the local population says that the building has the color of 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 is a small Observation deck six meters high, which offers a fantastically beautiful view of the coastal part 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 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.
This attraction is a real symbol of Thessaloniki. Previously, the White Tower was depicted even on money. The tower was built in the 15th century as a defensive structure. From the very beginning, the Tower formed part of the wall connecting the east and southern part Thessaloniki. Later this wall was destroyed.
In 1866 the city walls were demolished as Thessaloniki was annexed to Greece. It was then that the tower was painted white, which was a gesture symbolizing "purification". Today its color is rather gray, but the name remains the same.
For a long time the Tower was used as watch tower and like a prison. Currently, the White Tower houses a museum with a large collection of icons, frescoes and other valuables, many of which were made in Byzantine period. But besides, White Tower This is a wonderful historical museum.
Currently, the tower houses an exhibition organized by the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki, which opened its doors after restoration. All aspects of the history of the city, all important events and moments of city life are presented here. Visitors can take an intriguing journey through time from the day the city was founded to the very the recent past to the sounds and electronic projections that create special atmosphere, the spirit and taste of the city.
Each room uses state-of-the-art multimedia applications to fully immerse yourself in history.
The height of the tower is 35 meters. Climbing to its top, from the observation deck you can enjoy the panorama of the city and beautiful view central embankment. Visiting the White Tower is free for everyone.
Lefkos Pyrgos or the White Tower is a real symbol not only of Thessaloniki, the second largest and most important metropolis in Greece, but of the whole country.
Initially erected as a defensive structure, over its centuries-old history it has repeatedly changed its appointments, names and rulers, was rebuilt, became a witness to the bright and dramatic events of the past.
And now, including thanks to the part of the exposition of the Byzantine Museum located within its walls, it is the keeper of history. From the ten-meter observation deck of the Tower, great view to the city and the endless sea surface.
Where is
The White Tower is located in the coastal part of Thessaloniki, in the very center, on the shores of the Thermakois Gulf (Aegean Sea). More precisely - on Victory Square, not far from the Alexander Garden.
However, the traveler will hardly need additional landmarks - the silhouette of the Tower is very recognizable.
You can get to the promenade of Thessaloniki by city buses: 03, 05, 05A, 06, 15, 33, 33A, 39, 39A, 78, 78A. The fare is 1 euro. The road from the city bus station will take about 40 minutes.
Telephone of the White Tower Administration: +30 2310 267 832
Maximum number of visitors who can be admitted to sightseeing at a time - 70 people.
The tower and the museum located in it are open for tourists from Tuesday to Saturday, from 8.30 to 15.00.
Entrance ticket price– 3 euros. 
History of creation and legends
Strictly speaking, the definition of "white" in the name of the tower in Thessaloniki is rather a convention and a symbol. In fact, this building is beige or even light brown, as the inhabitants of Thessaloniki say - the color of buffalo skin. The tower was built by the Byzantines as a coastal fortification around the 12th century., destroyed and then rebuilt in the 15th century by the Turks, after the Ottoman army captured the city.
The total height of the Tower is 34 meters and its diameter is 23 meters. The building is crowned with an observation deck, on which there is another small turret tower.
During the years of the Turkish yoke Greek peninsula tower in different times was both a military fortification, and a barracks, and a prison, and a place of public execution. She also changed names - the Tower of the Janissaries, the Lion Tower. In 1826, here, by decree of Sultan Mahmud II, a mass execution of imprisoned rebels was carried out. After that, the tower got a new, terrible name - Bloody. When, as a result of the First Balkan War, power over the city passed to the Greeks, the Tower was repainted white, which became a symbol of peace and purification, and the name changed - from that moment on, the Tower is called "White".
A more prosaic version says that one of the prisoners whitewashed the Tower in exchange for release.
However, the series of tragic upheavals associated with the tower did not end there. Not far from Lefkos Pyrgos, in 1913, the anarchist King George I of Greece was killed by an anarchist, whose death after many years of rule opened the “Pandora's box” for Greece - a series of coups, riots and wars that haunted the country for more than half a century.
What is today
Today, instead of formidable cannons and caponiers, the White Tower is surrounded by a green square. First, a meteorological center was equipped in the tower, and since the late 80s of the last century, exhibits of the nearby Museum of Byzantine History and Culture, by the way, the only one in the world, have been located within its walls.
Each of the floors of the Tower Museum corresponds to a specific theme:
- The first one tells about the history of crafts from workshops of glassblowers and jewelers to gunsmiths.
- The second is dedicated to travelers, merchants, as well as artists of Ancient Byzantium.
- Having risen to the third floor, visitors are transferred to the atmosphere of the life of the Byzantines, get acquainted with household utensils, everyday items.
- The top floor is noteworthy (there are six in total in the tower), which represents everything connected with the last minutes of a person’s life and his transition to another world, related to this event by objects of worship.
The museum is equipped with modern equipment, touch screen panels, media presentations and holograms - perhaps even more so than you would expect from a museum of antiquity.
Traditions
March 25 is a special day for all the inhabitants of Greece. The day when the country gained independence, freed from the Ottoman yoke.
In Thessaloniki, a city that was one of the last to gain the long-awaited freedom, it is the White Tower that becomes the center of celebrations. People come here from all over the city national flags, from the sea to the tower sail fishing boats, and everyone becomes participants in a common prayer, and then a parade and celebrations, in memory of those who gave their lives for the independence of Greece.
Where to visit with a visit to the White Tower
The White Tower has become the starting point for many tourist routes in Thessaloniki. For example, from here you can go to the overview bus tour around the city - tickets (5 euros) are sold right there, and a bus with a guide is waiting for tourists every hour.
From the embankment it is easy to get to huge area Aristotle is central location cities that connect many old streets where coexist comfortably ancient buildings ancient Turkish baths and Byzantine churches, modern boutiques, cafes and restaurants. On Aristotle Square there is a statue of the great sage, which, according to local legend, adds wisdom to everyone who touches it.
Definitely worth a visit, located a few steps from the Tower Archaeological Museum Thessaloniki (located opposite - in the depths of the Alexander Park). It is here that connoisseurs of antiquities can get acquainted with true artifacts - the tomb of Alexander the Great's father Philip II, finds discovered during excavations of the tomb in Vergina. There, on the other side of the square, is the Museum Byzantine culture- we recall that only a small part of its exposition is located in the White Tower.
Cafes and entertainment nearby
Not far from the White Tower there are many cafes and restaurants, especially since this place has long been considered one of the favorite vacation spots for local youth and tourists.
Directly opposite the Tower you can drink coffee, taste the unique Greek ice cream in cozy establishments designed for every taste and style, here you can also find excellent pastries, cold and hot dishes in a large assortment. By the way, the menu in most cafes on the embankment is offered, including in Russian.
Of course, it is worth noting such exotic as floating cafes. For example, the most popular “floating bar” in the city is the Arabella masted ship.
You can go on a trip directly from the Tower, the ship departs every hour. It can be either a sightseeing tour with a leisurely sipping glass of juice or a cup of Greek coffee, or an incendiary friendly party in the company of a DJ with delicious Greek wine, cocktails and other drinks.
The cost of a thirty-minute trip - from 4 euros.
The history of this ship is also interesting: “Arabella” is one of the two surviving ships of Greece that took part in the hostilities against Nazi Germany, for which the ship was awarded the status of “Monument of History”.
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 witnessed 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. 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..." />
