An imposing tower that dominates the port of Ouranoupolis, Halkidiki.
It was in residential use until the middle of the 20th century. Today the complex belongs to the Ministry of Culture. A museum operates on its premises and exhibitions are organized.

History

The existence of the tower is recorded for the first time in 1344. It is probably much older. It was located in a metochi (dependency) called “Prosphorion”, which belonged to the Vatopedi Monastery of Mount Athos since 1018.

According to online sources, in May 1379 the governor (despot) of Thessaloniki Ioannis Palaiologos, during his stay there, exempted the tower from tax obligations.
This must not be accurate, as at that time there was no ruler of Thessaloniki from the Palaiologos family. However, towards the end of the same year, Manuel Palaiologos (emperor, later) returned to the rule of Thessaloniki after the return of his father Ioannis V Palaiologos to the throne of Byzantium. So the tax exemption was probably done either by Manuel or by the emperor Ioannis V. Unless it is the 9-year-old Ioannis VII who for a few years co-reigned with his father Andronikos IV (who in the period 1376-1379 had overthrown his own father, Ioannis V).

The building was seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1585 and had to be repaired. Then the upper 2-3 floors were added (or reconstructed). In 1821, during the Greek Revolution, it appears that the tower was set on fire. In August 1858 it was described as uninhabited, but in the same year it was repaired. Later the tower was inhabited and after 1924 it was used to host refugees from Asia Minor.
Soon after, in 1928, the Lochs – Joice and Sydney Loch – of English and Australian origin, came to the tower as members of humanitarian organizations to provide aid to refugees. The couple offered very important social work in Ouranoupolis for many decades, while also taking care of the maintenance of the tower, which was kept in relatively good condition mainly thanks to their efforts.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The lower part of the tower is a Byzantine construction, perhaps from the 12th or 13th century. The two upper floors were added later probably in the late 16th century. It is possible that another floor was added then, which is not preserved. Today, the upper part is covered by a hipped roof which is a 19th century addition. The interior of the tower (wooden floors, etc.) is from the same period.

After the 1905 earthquake, the lower part of the tower was reinforced externally with a characteristic sloping wall, the so-called scarpa.

Remains of the barbakas, i.e. the fortification that used to surround the tower, are preserved around and next to the tower. The barbakas is a construction of the early Tourkokratia (around the 15th century). Inside of the barabakas there were various buildings that served the needs of the metochi. To the north-west of the tower was the arsanas (dock). Today, of these auxiliary buildings, only two survive, which are also from the 19th century.

Sources