Kastrologos

Castles of Greece
 

Stageira, Aristotelis, Chalkidiki,Central Macedonia

Tower of Madem Aga

  
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Location:
In the “Aristotle’ park” at the western exit of the village Stageira of Chalkidiki
Region > Prefecture: Greek Map
Central Macedonia
Chalkidiki
Municipality > Town:
City of Aristotelis
• Stageira
Altitude:
Elevation ≈ 530 m 
(Relative Height≈0 m)
Time of Construction   Origin
15th century  
OTTOMAN
H 
Castle Type   Condition
Tower  
In Ruins
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The tower was part of a Byzantine and Ottoman fortified settlement which the Archaeological Service has named “Medieval fortified complex of Sidirokafsia”. Historically, the settlement was known as Castle of Isvoro (Isvoro was the Slavic name of a village nearby).

The key fact about this settlement is that it has been the center of mining activity and of production of silver and lead. The name Sidirokafsia is mentioned since the 9th century, inthe Byzantine period, but the peak of the metal production and the financial boom occurred during the first period of the Ottoman occupation in the 15th century.

One of the remains of Sidirokasia is this tower which was built probably in the 15th or the latest in the early 16th century. It was the administrative center of the settlement and the seat of the Turkish lord, the Madem Aga (madem in Turkish is the iron ore).

Around 20m from the tower are the ruins of another building which was probably the mansion (the konaκ) of the Aga. Both of these buildings are inside a small park, the “Aristotle’s park” (Stageira was the birtplace of Aristotle).

In the area there are some other Ottoman remains including an isolated tower of Sidirokafsia, on a rise northwest of the village, very close to Aristotle park.


First entry in Kastrologos:    July 2017

Sources