White tower & Rotonda church

White tower & Rotonda church.Two of the most important monuments of the co-capital of Greece,Thessaloniki.

The history

The White Tower of Thessaloniki  is a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city of Thessaloniki, capital of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. The present tower replaced an old Byzantine fortification, known to have been mentioned around the 12th century.  That the Ottoman Empire reconstructed to fortify the city’s harbour sometime after Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki in 1430. The tower became a notorious prison and scene of mass executions during the period of Ottoman rule. The White Tower was substantially remodeled and its exterior was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city in 1912. It has been adopted as the symbol of the city. Due to the significance of white tower,almost all souvenirs that you can buy, have the image of it,like this wonderfull white tower & rotonda church.

From the Red Tower to the White Tower

The Tower was used by the Ottomans successively as a fortress, garrison and a prison. In 1826, at the order of the Sultan Mahmud II, there was a massacre of the rebellious Janissaries imprisoned there. Owing to the “countless victims of Ottoman torturers and executioners”, the tower acquired the name “Tower of Blood” or “Red Tower” .  A name which it kept until the end of the 19th century.

When Thessaloniki was taken from the Ottoman Empire by the Hellenic State in 1912 during the First Balkan War, the tower was whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of cleansing.  And acquired its present name (there are numerous photographs from 1880s-90s showing the tower already white). King George I of Greece was assassinated not far from the White Tower in March 1913. The Tower is now a buff colour but has retained the name White Tower. It now stands on Thessaloniki’s waterfront boulevard, Nikis (Victory) Street. It houses a museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki and is one of the city’s leading tourist attractions.

The White Tower houses an exhibition dedicated to the city of Thessaloniki and its history throughout various periods, organized by the city’s Museum of Byzantine Culture. It is under the administration of the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of the Greek Ministry of Culture. The Tower is open to the public, and visitors have the opportunity to view a map of the city with monuments and museums, a timeline with events relevant to Thessaloniki, scientific articles of distinguished historians and archaeologists, bibliography etc. School excursions may be arranged by contacting the Byzantine Museum.