Leukos Pyrgos (the White Tower)
The White Tower (Leukos Pyrgos), Thessaloniki landmark was probably built in the 15th century by the Turkish who gained dominion over the city in 1430, yet it is also possible that it had already existed before. The tower construction is located in the south-east corner of the city’s fortification in the place where the ramparts leading along the seashore and the eastern part of the fortifications leading to the top to the Acropolis crossed.
The more than 30 m high tower with a round plan was later (like other parts of the fortification, including, Kastro on the Acropolis) used as a prison and an execution site. On the photographs from the beginning of the 20th century, you can still see the well-preserved city fortification including small defence towers, surrondings the White Tower till 1917 when this part of the city fortification was pulled down, and the tower that used to be called "the bloody tower", was painted white, which gave it its latter name.
Today the tower that is a popular place for meetings mostly for young people includes a museum with many exhibits (coins, mosaics, frescoes, icones, and sacral objects) that belongs to the Museum of Byzantine Culture, informing of the history of Thessaloniki from the 4th till the 15th century.
Review
Area: |
Central Macedonia |
Resort: |
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Type: |
Památka |