Ottoman heritage walks in Thessaloniki
White Tower ? City Museum
At the meeting point of the eastern wall and the sea wall, stood a Byzantine tower, on the
site of which, in the late 15th century, the White Tower was erected. It was constructed as
part of a programme of modernization of the city?s fortifications by the Ottomans (cf.
Alysseos Tower). The emblem of Thessaloniki, the White Tower is intimately connected
with the city?s history and the focus of many legends reflected in its various names. The
original appellation Fort of Kalamaria (18th century) was replaced in the 19th century by
the names Tower of the Janissaries and Tower of Blood (Kanli Kule), referring to the use of
the building as a prison for long-term convicts and those sentenced to death, whom the
Janissaries executed on the battlements, dyeing with blood the exterior walls of the tower.
In 1890, the tower was whitewashed by a convict in exchange for his freedom, and was
henceforth known by its current name, the White Tower. As a defensive structure, it is a
characteristic example of the great circular towers of the late 15th and early 16th centuries,
which replaced the mediaeval rectangular structures, reflecting the need to defend
against the new and widespread practice of artillery warfare, which led to a variety of
innovations in defensive architecture. The structure was topped by a conical, wooden roof,
covered in lead. Until the early 20th century, a polygonal defensive structure survived at
the base of the tower, with apertures for cannon at sea level along the sides and small
towers serving as look-out points at the corners of the enclosing wall. This complex was
constructed in 1535-36, according to the Turkish inscription found above the entrance.
Inside the White Tower, there is now a museum where visitors can enjoy a digital
reconstruction of the city?s history.
?Louloudadika?, the Baths of the Great Market (Yahudi Hamami)
In the Turkish records, the baths are known under a variety of names: the Baths of the
Great Market (Pazar-i kebir hamami), the Women?s Baths (Kadinlar hamami) and the Jewish
Baths (Yahudi hamami). The latter, and best-known, name is owed to the location of the
baths in an exclusively Jewish district. According to Evligia Tselemi and the Turkish
archives, the baths were established by a certain Halil A?a, possibly the individual known to
have been a large stable owner and vezir in the mid-17th century. More recent opinion,
based on the typological and morphological characteristics of the building, would date it
earlier, perhaps to the first half of the 16th century. The baths were designed for use by
both sexes and have the typical triple layout (cold, warm and hot baths). The masonry is of
interest in its imitation of the Byzantine cloisonné system, as is the internal decoration
with plaster mortar.
Historic market sites: Vatikioti - Athonos, Vlali, Bezesteni
Within the commercial centre of the city, between the streets Ermou - Ionos Dragoumi-
Egnatia - M.Yennadeiou - Karolou Diel, there are three market complexes which have
represented indispensable focal points in the commercial life of the city for many decades,
if not centuries. There is ample evidence to convince us of the presence of markets on this
site since the time of Turkish rule, probably of the kind familiar in other mediaeval eastern
states. The area of the main market began at Egnatia Street, then known as ?Broad Street?,
and extended as far as the southern side of the Church of Aghios Minas. To the east, it was
bounded by the district extending from Panayia Halkeon to the market baths (Komninon St.
? V. Irakleiou St.) and to the west by the avenue known as Yali Kapsi (Seafront Gate). It was
within the narrow streets and alleys of this quarter that most of the city?s commercial
activity took place. At the heart of the district stood the Flour Market (Un Kapani), which is
mentioned in the older Turkish records as Kapan-i Galle or the Kapani, a name still used by
local people to refer to the market. But from the early 20th century it ceased to function
as a flour market and began to sell all sorts of goods: lime from Asvestohori, tin and
earthenware vessels, rice and pulses, meat and seafood. The little square in the centre of
the Vlali market was occupied by stalls selling pets and other animals like sheep and
chickens. Following the fire of 1917, and the new layout of street blocks in the market
area, a programme was drawn up in October 1923 to sell off small lots and create new
markets in which rules would be laid down for the various types of stores and goods to be
sold in particular areas. These rules have remained in effect to the present day.
Bezesten (covered market)
This building ? one of the most important legacies of Ottoman Thessaloniki ? was located
right at the heart of the market area and represented a focal point in the life of the city
under Turkish rule. Its name is derived from the Turkish word bez ? meaning cotton or linen
? and these buildings were mainly used as markets for high-quality cloths and fabrics,
although the markets did also house traders in other valuable and perishable goods, and for
this reason were often guarded. The Thessaloniki Bezesten was built in the 15th century,
either under Sultan Mehmet II in 1455, or a little later, under Sultan Bayazit II, towards the
end of the same century. It is a rectangular structure with entrances at the centre of each
side, divided internally into six blocks, and covered by six lead-covered domes that
correspond to the internal layout of the building. The stores located around the building
were added in the early 20th century. During the restoration work in 1978, carved
inscriptions were found on the lead sheets of the domes by craftsmen working on the
building between 1786 and 1927. Written in Greek, Turkish, French and southern Slav, they
indicate the nationalities of the men who worked on the building at various times. Finally,
it should be noted that this is one of the very few Ottoman buildings in the city which has
retained its original use, although the modern visitor will probably not enjoy the same
wealth of sound, sight and smell that the market must have once offered.
Hamza Bey mosque (Alcazar)
The building is known locally as the Alcazar, because that was the name of the cinema that
was housed inside it for many years. It is one of the most important examples of Ottoman
architecture in all of south-eastern Europe, the largest mosque with a peristyle courtyard
and the only one of its kind in Greece. Our knowledge of its origins and the various phases
of its construction is derived from inscriptions on the walls of the building. It was originally
constructed as a mesçid or parish mosque without a minaret in 1467/68 by Hafsa Hatun,
daughter of Hamza Bey, Beyler Bey of Anatolia. The original mesçid was later enlarged with
the construction of two rectangular areas on the northern and southern sides of the original
four-sided chamber, the addition of a perimetrical covered stoa to the west and the
construction of a minaret at the south-western corner of the original building. Some
scholars date the conversion of the building to a mosque to the years before 1492, most
however agree that the conversion work took place in the second half of the 16th century
(between 1570 and 1592). A third reconstruction was carried out in 1620, by Kapici Mehmed
Bey. The main part of the mosque has survived in good condition, with its lead-covered
dome and its interior decoration, featuring stalactites of plaster mortar and wall paintings.
The columns of the portico still have the original capitals, taken from early Christian
buildings. Work has recently begun on consolidating and restoring the building.
Bey Hamami (Paradise Baths)
This large bathhouse was constructed in 1444 by Sultan Murat II, according to the Arabic
inscription above the entrance to the men?s baths. The baths were designed for use by both
sexes, with separate entrances and facilities for men and women. The men?s baths are
larger and more opulently decorated. Of particular interest, with a ceiling magnificently
decorated with stalactites, is the special area reserved for use of the Bey himself, which
communicates with the men?s hot bath. The bathhouse remained in use until as recently as
1968.
Ottoman Bank (formerly the Frangon National Insurance Fund office, now the State
Conservatoire)
The present building was constructed after 1903, on the site of the mansion of Jek Abbott.
The engineers Barouh and Amar designed the new building, retaining the façade grid of the
earlier building. Repairs and additions were made in line with plans by engineers Pleyber
(1921) and Modiano (1924). The main feature in the layout of the building is the internal
atrium, which appears closed on the ground floor, with a vaulted glass roof. Its style is neobaroque
with clear French influences.
Pa?a Hamami (Phoenix Baths)
At the junction of Zefyron, Kalvou and P. Karatza Streets, stands the Turkish bathhouse
founded by Cezeri Kasim Pa?a, Sancakbey of Thessaloniki in around 1520-1530, the same
man who converted the Church of Aghion Apostolon into a mosque. The baths, known to the
Turks as Pa?a Hamami, were originally just for men, but later converted to incorporate
facilities for women. They remained in use until 1981.
Vardari Fort (Top Hane)
The fort, located at the south-western corner of the city wall system, was constructed in
1546 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) in order to protect the western flank
of the port. The system of fortifications around the city had included on its eastern side
part of the western early Christian and Byzantine walls. The rectangular tower at its
eastern edge is also known as the Tower of the Relief. This section of the wall has been
identified with the Tzerebulon mentioned in Byzantine sources of the 15th century, i.e. the
breakwater which closed off on the south-western side the artificial harbour constructed by
Constantine the Great in 322-23. At that time, the sea came up almost to the level of
where Frangon Street lies in the modern city. The Byzantine port gradually silted up during
the period of Turkish rule, creating the area where the Istira market later developed (see
above under Ladadika). A Turkish report of 1733 refers to it under the names Top-hane
(arsenal tower) and Tamba-hane (tanners? tower). The tower was designed to allow the use
of artillery and must have formed part of a programme to modernize the city?s fortifications.
Various repair and consolidation work was carried out later, the most important
project being the one of 1741, when the southern part of the wall facing inwards was
broadened by 18 metres, creating an embankment on which three powder magazines were
constructed.
Home of Mustafa Kemal ? Ataturk (Turkish Consulate)
Next to the Turkish Consulate General stands the house, in traditional architectural style,
whose historical significance lies in the fact that it was the birthplace of the founder of the
modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938). The house is now a museum
Yeni Hamam (Aigli Baths)
Built by Hüsrev Kedhuda in the late 16th century, this was a bathhouse with separate
facilities for both sexes, but which underwent radical modification when it became the
Aigli cinema, which remained open until 1978.
Alaca ?maret Camii or ?shak Pa?a Camii (Alaca Imaret Mosque)
According to the inscription above the entrance, the mosque was built by ?shak Pa?a in 1484
and formed part of a vakif or charitable foundation, which also included a poorhouse and
school. Its operational expenses were supplied from rent and taxes on land and institutions.
It took its name Alaca from the multi-coloured walls of the minaret, of which only the base
remains, at the south-western corner. The building is now used by the Deputy Mayor?s
Department of the City of Thessaloniki for staging cultural events.
Main Administrative Building (Konaki), now the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace
Construction work on the present building began in 1891, to plans drawn up by architect
Vitaliano Poselli and on a site slightly below that of the old Konaki, which was demolished
the same year. The building was home to various departments of the Turkish administration
(municipal rolls office, accounts, land registry, mortgage registry, magistrate?s court, the
great hall of the prefectural council, furnished with legendary opulence, the foreign affairs
directorate, the police and gendarmerie, the court of first instance and commercial court,
the religious court). In 1907, the building housed the Turkish Law School, and in 1911,
Sultan Mehmed V, who stayed here during his visit to Thessaloniki. In 1954, it was decided
to carry out repairs to the building and gather inside it all the departments of the General
Administration of Northern Greece ? as the regions of Macedonia-Thrace were at that time
denominated. This renovation also involved the addition of a fourth floor, completed in
1955.
Noteworthy buildings in the vicinity of the Church of Aghia Aikaterini
This north-western area of the Upper City corresponds more or less to the old Turkish
quarter of Yakub Pa?a ? known for its many public fountains, school, opium den, poorhouse
and mosque with graveyard. There are some noteworthy buildings scattered here and there
along Papadopoulou, Antigonis, Tsamadou and Sahtouri Streets, and also next to the walls
on Isminis Street. The features these buildings share, in common with their counterparts all
across the Upper City, are traditional architecture with certain neoclassical features,
sahnisia or projecting upper floors, symmetry of ground plans and facades, depending on
the special character of each building and the size of the plot.
Noteworthy buildings in the Tsinari district, on F. Dragoumi, Kleious, A. Papadopoulou
and Dim. Poliorkitou Streets
The area of the Upper City located above the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace is still known by
its Turkish name Tsinari ? from the Turkish word çinarli, meaning a plane tree. At the
centre of the quarter, stood the school and the mosque. The main streets in the
neighborhood were Kleious, A. Papadopoulou and Dim. Poliorkitou. Here too the houses
display the common features of the Upper City: traditional architecture with some
neoclassical features; symmetry in the main facades; a number of timber structures;
projecting upper floors; two- storey structures with semi-basements in some cases. There
are several houses worth seeing on Kleious and Dim. Poliorkitou Streets, particularly no. 23
on the latter (corner with A. Papadopoulou St.), where we see a double projecting upper
storey on one face, and also no. 37, which has been restored and now houses the National
Map and Cartographic Heritage Centre (4a). At the corner of Kleious and A. Papadopoulou
Streets, stands the last example of the typical kafeneion of the Turkish period, the Tsinari,
opposite the fountain of Murat II (Byzantine monument), a meeting place for the local
people. Before leaving this group of Upper City houses, we must just mention the building
on the corner of F. Dragoumi and Olympiados Streets, a fine example of eclectic
architecture with a clear neoclassical influence.
Noteworthy buildings in the vicinity of Taxiarchon Church and Romfeis Square ? Koule
Kafe (Mouson and Theotokopoulou Sts.)
This district, known to the Turks as Iki ?erife, tended to merge with the neighboring
Christian quarter of the Vlatadon Monastery, since Christians and Turks lived side by side in
a number of streets. It was from the 16th century onwards that the district began to
evolve.
On the northern side of Romfeis Square, on 7, Krispou Street, stands a particularly
significant building, a broad, double-faced residence which is a typical example of a private
Balkan house. It displays certain neoclassical features, but also a distinctive eclecticism,
with the two symmetrical curved sahnisia (projecting upper stories) on the central axes of
each part. Significant internal modifications ? particularly the use of reinforced concrete to
replace the stairways ? took place in 1959, when the building was renovated for use (until
the 1980?s) as a high school. It has been restored with funds of the Ministry of Culture and
purchased by the City Council for use as the offices of various cultural organizations.
There are other interesting buildings at the junction of Theotokopoulou and Mouson
Streets, as well as in the vicinity of the Church of the Taxiarchs, on 26, Mouson Street. The
latter displays the typical organization of the main façade, with a row of triangular sahnisia
on the second floor. Also of interest is the building on 47, Mouson Street ? owned by the
Ministry of Culture and used to house part of the offices of the Ephorate of Modern
Monuments of Central Macedonia ? with the wooden decorations on its façade.
The Gardens of the Pasha
On the large plot of land where the Aghios Dimitrios Hospital is built, namely in the space
between the hospital and the tuberculosis sanatorium demolished in 1955, stands a small
group of buildings intended to adorn the huge gardens that once belonged to the hospital.
This great open space was surrounded by high walls and planted with pines, while in one
section there was a seating area with fountains and other decorative features, intended to
provide cooling relaxation for the visitor, as well as a splendid view of the city below. The
Gardens of the Pasha (no specific Pasha appears to be meant by the title) were laid out in
1904, according to an inscription in one of the walls. They provide an example of the
architecture of the imagination given free play in the open air. Moreover, they are the only
completed work representing this current of architecture in Thessaloniki. Only a few of the
original buildings have survived, scattered over an area of 1,000 square metres: a fountain
with a tunnel around it, a cistern for collecting rainwater, a low gate leading into an
underground area, and an elevated seating area.
Alysseos Tower or Trigonio Tower (Tzintzirli Kule or Kousakli Kule)
The name is later than the tower itself, and was borrowed from the Byzantine name of the
district where it stands (Trigonio). It was at this point that the Turks breached the defences
of the city in 1430. During the period of Turkish rule, it was known as Tzintzirli Kule (tower
of the chain) or Kousakli Kule (girdled tower). In the 15th century, it replaced the Byzantine
Trigonio Tower, incorporating the latter in its construction. This explains its
labyrinthine internal layout. Around the middle of the 16th century, it was modified, taking
the form we see today. It was used up until the 18th century as a powder magazine and
arsenal. This type of tower represented a response to the developments in technology and
the art of war that occurred from the second half of the 15th century onwards, with the
increasing use of artillery. The Trigonio Tower, together with the White Tower and the
Vardari Fort, formed part of the system of defenses constructed by the Turks to strengthen
critical but vulnerable points in the Byzantine fortifications and make them capable of
withstanding the new techniques of warfare.
Eptapyrgio Fort (Yedi Kule)
The Eptapyrgio Fort is an adaptation of an earlier Byzantine fort, which underwent
modification in 1431, immediately after the capture of the city by the Turks, as we learn
from the Turkish inscription above the main gate of its central tower; the walls of the tower
also incorporate some pieces of sculpture taken from an earlier Byzantine building. The
Eptapyrgio owes its name, like its namesake in Constantinople, to the seven rectangular
towers of which it is composed, together with the curtain wall and the central tower of the
gateway, laid out in the shape of the Greek letter ?. It is a polygonal fort, formed on the
north-eastern edge of the Acropolis with the addition of an almost semi-circular wall following
the outline of its enclosure, towards the interior of the Acropolis. The original layout
of the closed fort must date from the late-Byzantine period. Research conducted in parallel
with restoration in recent years has yielded important new evidence on the many
interventions and repairs the fort has underwent, as well as on the original form and articulation
of the towers, which have internal vaulted stairways to allow communication
between the different floors. The most radical modifications appear to have been made to
the central entrance tower in the period of Turkish rule, when the fort was used as the
headquarters of the Turkish governor. In the late 19th century, the fort was converted into
a prison, known by the Turkish name of the fort ? Yedi Kule. Various new structures were
built to serve the needs of the prison, both within the fort and on the external southern
face ? which was completely concealed. The prison was closed down in 1989 and the fort
now houses the offices of the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities.
At the meeting point of the eastern wall and the sea wall, stood a Byzantine tower, on the
site of which, in the late 15th century, the White Tower was erected. It was constructed as
part of a programme of modernization of the city?s fortifications by the Ottomans (cf.
Alysseos Tower). The emblem of Thessaloniki, the White Tower is intimately connected
with the city?s history and the focus of many legends reflected in its various names. The
original appellation Fort of Kalamaria (18th century) was replaced in the 19th century by
the names Tower of the Janissaries and Tower of Blood (Kanli Kule), referring to the use of
the building as a prison for long-term convicts and those sentenced to death, whom the
Janissaries executed on the battlements, dyeing with blood the exterior walls of the tower.
In 1890, the tower was whitewashed by a convict in exchange for his freedom, and was
henceforth known by its current name, the White Tower. As a defensive structure, it is a
characteristic example of the great circular towers of the late 15th and early 16th centuries,
which replaced the mediaeval rectangular structures, reflecting the need to defend
against the new and widespread practice of artillery warfare, which led to a variety of
innovations in defensive architecture. The structure was topped by a conical, wooden roof,
covered in lead. Until the early 20th century, a polygonal defensive structure survived at
the base of the tower, with apertures for cannon at sea level along the sides and small
towers serving as look-out points at the corners of the enclosing wall. This complex was
constructed in 1535-36, according to the Turkish inscription found above the entrance.
Inside the White Tower, there is now a museum where visitors can enjoy a digital
reconstruction of the city?s history.
?Louloudadika?, the Baths of the Great Market (Yahudi Hamami)
In the Turkish records, the baths are known under a variety of names: the Baths of the
Great Market (Pazar-i kebir hamami), the Women?s Baths (Kadinlar hamami) and the Jewish
Baths (Yahudi hamami). The latter, and best-known, name is owed to the location of the
baths in an exclusively Jewish district. According to Evligia Tselemi and the Turkish
archives, the baths were established by a certain Halil A?a, possibly the individual known to
have been a large stable owner and vezir in the mid-17th century. More recent opinion,
based on the typological and morphological characteristics of the building, would date it
earlier, perhaps to the first half of the 16th century. The baths were designed for use by
both sexes and have the typical triple layout (cold, warm and hot baths). The masonry is of
interest in its imitation of the Byzantine cloisonné system, as is the internal decoration
with plaster mortar.
Historic market sites: Vatikioti - Athonos, Vlali, Bezesteni
Within the commercial centre of the city, between the streets Ermou - Ionos Dragoumi-
Egnatia - M.Yennadeiou - Karolou Diel, there are three market complexes which have
represented indispensable focal points in the commercial life of the city for many decades,
if not centuries. There is ample evidence to convince us of the presence of markets on this
site since the time of Turkish rule, probably of the kind familiar in other mediaeval eastern
states. The area of the main market began at Egnatia Street, then known as ?Broad Street?,
and extended as far as the southern side of the Church of Aghios Minas. To the east, it was
bounded by the district extending from Panayia Halkeon to the market baths (Komninon St.
? V. Irakleiou St.) and to the west by the avenue known as Yali Kapsi (Seafront Gate). It was
within the narrow streets and alleys of this quarter that most of the city?s commercial
activity took place. At the heart of the district stood the Flour Market (Un Kapani), which is
mentioned in the older Turkish records as Kapan-i Galle or the Kapani, a name still used by
local people to refer to the market. But from the early 20th century it ceased to function
as a flour market and began to sell all sorts of goods: lime from Asvestohori, tin and
earthenware vessels, rice and pulses, meat and seafood. The little square in the centre of
the Vlali market was occupied by stalls selling pets and other animals like sheep and
chickens. Following the fire of 1917, and the new layout of street blocks in the market
area, a programme was drawn up in October 1923 to sell off small lots and create new
markets in which rules would be laid down for the various types of stores and goods to be
sold in particular areas. These rules have remained in effect to the present day.
Bezesten (covered market)
This building ? one of the most important legacies of Ottoman Thessaloniki ? was located
right at the heart of the market area and represented a focal point in the life of the city
under Turkish rule. Its name is derived from the Turkish word bez ? meaning cotton or linen
? and these buildings were mainly used as markets for high-quality cloths and fabrics,
although the markets did also house traders in other valuable and perishable goods, and for
this reason were often guarded. The Thessaloniki Bezesten was built in the 15th century,
either under Sultan Mehmet II in 1455, or a little later, under Sultan Bayazit II, towards the
end of the same century. It is a rectangular structure with entrances at the centre of each
side, divided internally into six blocks, and covered by six lead-covered domes that
correspond to the internal layout of the building. The stores located around the building
were added in the early 20th century. During the restoration work in 1978, carved
inscriptions were found on the lead sheets of the domes by craftsmen working on the
building between 1786 and 1927. Written in Greek, Turkish, French and southern Slav, they
indicate the nationalities of the men who worked on the building at various times. Finally,
it should be noted that this is one of the very few Ottoman buildings in the city which has
retained its original use, although the modern visitor will probably not enjoy the same
wealth of sound, sight and smell that the market must have once offered.
Hamza Bey mosque (Alcazar)
The building is known locally as the Alcazar, because that was the name of the cinema that
was housed inside it for many years. It is one of the most important examples of Ottoman
architecture in all of south-eastern Europe, the largest mosque with a peristyle courtyard
and the only one of its kind in Greece. Our knowledge of its origins and the various phases
of its construction is derived from inscriptions on the walls of the building. It was originally
constructed as a mesçid or parish mosque without a minaret in 1467/68 by Hafsa Hatun,
daughter of Hamza Bey, Beyler Bey of Anatolia. The original mesçid was later enlarged with
the construction of two rectangular areas on the northern and southern sides of the original
four-sided chamber, the addition of a perimetrical covered stoa to the west and the
construction of a minaret at the south-western corner of the original building. Some
scholars date the conversion of the building to a mosque to the years before 1492, most
however agree that the conversion work took place in the second half of the 16th century
(between 1570 and 1592). A third reconstruction was carried out in 1620, by Kapici Mehmed
Bey. The main part of the mosque has survived in good condition, with its lead-covered
dome and its interior decoration, featuring stalactites of plaster mortar and wall paintings.
The columns of the portico still have the original capitals, taken from early Christian
buildings. Work has recently begun on consolidating and restoring the building.
Bey Hamami (Paradise Baths)
This large bathhouse was constructed in 1444 by Sultan Murat II, according to the Arabic
inscription above the entrance to the men?s baths. The baths were designed for use by both
sexes, with separate entrances and facilities for men and women. The men?s baths are
larger and more opulently decorated. Of particular interest, with a ceiling magnificently
decorated with stalactites, is the special area reserved for use of the Bey himself, which
communicates with the men?s hot bath. The bathhouse remained in use until as recently as
1968.
Ottoman Bank (formerly the Frangon National Insurance Fund office, now the State
Conservatoire)
The present building was constructed after 1903, on the site of the mansion of Jek Abbott.
The engineers Barouh and Amar designed the new building, retaining the façade grid of the
earlier building. Repairs and additions were made in line with plans by engineers Pleyber
(1921) and Modiano (1924). The main feature in the layout of the building is the internal
atrium, which appears closed on the ground floor, with a vaulted glass roof. Its style is neobaroque
with clear French influences.
Pa?a Hamami (Phoenix Baths)
At the junction of Zefyron, Kalvou and P. Karatza Streets, stands the Turkish bathhouse
founded by Cezeri Kasim Pa?a, Sancakbey of Thessaloniki in around 1520-1530, the same
man who converted the Church of Aghion Apostolon into a mosque. The baths, known to the
Turks as Pa?a Hamami, were originally just for men, but later converted to incorporate
facilities for women. They remained in use until 1981.
Vardari Fort (Top Hane)
The fort, located at the south-western corner of the city wall system, was constructed in
1546 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) in order to protect the western flank
of the port. The system of fortifications around the city had included on its eastern side
part of the western early Christian and Byzantine walls. The rectangular tower at its
eastern edge is also known as the Tower of the Relief. This section of the wall has been
identified with the Tzerebulon mentioned in Byzantine sources of the 15th century, i.e. the
breakwater which closed off on the south-western side the artificial harbour constructed by
Constantine the Great in 322-23. At that time, the sea came up almost to the level of
where Frangon Street lies in the modern city. The Byzantine port gradually silted up during
the period of Turkish rule, creating the area where the Istira market later developed (see
above under Ladadika). A Turkish report of 1733 refers to it under the names Top-hane
(arsenal tower) and Tamba-hane (tanners? tower). The tower was designed to allow the use
of artillery and must have formed part of a programme to modernize the city?s fortifications.
Various repair and consolidation work was carried out later, the most important
project being the one of 1741, when the southern part of the wall facing inwards was
broadened by 18 metres, creating an embankment on which three powder magazines were
constructed.
Home of Mustafa Kemal ? Ataturk (Turkish Consulate)
Next to the Turkish Consulate General stands the house, in traditional architectural style,
whose historical significance lies in the fact that it was the birthplace of the founder of the
modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938). The house is now a museum
Yeni Hamam (Aigli Baths)
Built by Hüsrev Kedhuda in the late 16th century, this was a bathhouse with separate
facilities for both sexes, but which underwent radical modification when it became the
Aigli cinema, which remained open until 1978.
Alaca ?maret Camii or ?shak Pa?a Camii (Alaca Imaret Mosque)
According to the inscription above the entrance, the mosque was built by ?shak Pa?a in 1484
and formed part of a vakif or charitable foundation, which also included a poorhouse and
school. Its operational expenses were supplied from rent and taxes on land and institutions.
It took its name Alaca from the multi-coloured walls of the minaret, of which only the base
remains, at the south-western corner. The building is now used by the Deputy Mayor?s
Department of the City of Thessaloniki for staging cultural events.
Main Administrative Building (Konaki), now the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace
Construction work on the present building began in 1891, to plans drawn up by architect
Vitaliano Poselli and on a site slightly below that of the old Konaki, which was demolished
the same year. The building was home to various departments of the Turkish administration
(municipal rolls office, accounts, land registry, mortgage registry, magistrate?s court, the
great hall of the prefectural council, furnished with legendary opulence, the foreign affairs
directorate, the police and gendarmerie, the court of first instance and commercial court,
the religious court). In 1907, the building housed the Turkish Law School, and in 1911,
Sultan Mehmed V, who stayed here during his visit to Thessaloniki. In 1954, it was decided
to carry out repairs to the building and gather inside it all the departments of the General
Administration of Northern Greece ? as the regions of Macedonia-Thrace were at that time
denominated. This renovation also involved the addition of a fourth floor, completed in
1955.
Noteworthy buildings in the vicinity of the Church of Aghia Aikaterini
This north-western area of the Upper City corresponds more or less to the old Turkish
quarter of Yakub Pa?a ? known for its many public fountains, school, opium den, poorhouse
and mosque with graveyard. There are some noteworthy buildings scattered here and there
along Papadopoulou, Antigonis, Tsamadou and Sahtouri Streets, and also next to the walls
on Isminis Street. The features these buildings share, in common with their counterparts all
across the Upper City, are traditional architecture with certain neoclassical features,
sahnisia or projecting upper floors, symmetry of ground plans and facades, depending on
the special character of each building and the size of the plot.
Noteworthy buildings in the Tsinari district, on F. Dragoumi, Kleious, A. Papadopoulou
and Dim. Poliorkitou Streets
The area of the Upper City located above the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace is still known by
its Turkish name Tsinari ? from the Turkish word çinarli, meaning a plane tree. At the
centre of the quarter, stood the school and the mosque. The main streets in the
neighborhood were Kleious, A. Papadopoulou and Dim. Poliorkitou. Here too the houses
display the common features of the Upper City: traditional architecture with some
neoclassical features; symmetry in the main facades; a number of timber structures;
projecting upper floors; two- storey structures with semi-basements in some cases. There
are several houses worth seeing on Kleious and Dim. Poliorkitou Streets, particularly no. 23
on the latter (corner with A. Papadopoulou St.), where we see a double projecting upper
storey on one face, and also no. 37, which has been restored and now houses the National
Map and Cartographic Heritage Centre (4a). At the corner of Kleious and A. Papadopoulou
Streets, stands the last example of the typical kafeneion of the Turkish period, the Tsinari,
opposite the fountain of Murat II (Byzantine monument), a meeting place for the local
people. Before leaving this group of Upper City houses, we must just mention the building
on the corner of F. Dragoumi and Olympiados Streets, a fine example of eclectic
architecture with a clear neoclassical influence.
Noteworthy buildings in the vicinity of Taxiarchon Church and Romfeis Square ? Koule
Kafe (Mouson and Theotokopoulou Sts.)
This district, known to the Turks as Iki ?erife, tended to merge with the neighboring
Christian quarter of the Vlatadon Monastery, since Christians and Turks lived side by side in
a number of streets. It was from the 16th century onwards that the district began to
evolve.
On the northern side of Romfeis Square, on 7, Krispou Street, stands a particularly
significant building, a broad, double-faced residence which is a typical example of a private
Balkan house. It displays certain neoclassical features, but also a distinctive eclecticism,
with the two symmetrical curved sahnisia (projecting upper stories) on the central axes of
each part. Significant internal modifications ? particularly the use of reinforced concrete to
replace the stairways ? took place in 1959, when the building was renovated for use (until
the 1980?s) as a high school. It has been restored with funds of the Ministry of Culture and
purchased by the City Council for use as the offices of various cultural organizations.
There are other interesting buildings at the junction of Theotokopoulou and Mouson
Streets, as well as in the vicinity of the Church of the Taxiarchs, on 26, Mouson Street. The
latter displays the typical organization of the main façade, with a row of triangular sahnisia
on the second floor. Also of interest is the building on 47, Mouson Street ? owned by the
Ministry of Culture and used to house part of the offices of the Ephorate of Modern
Monuments of Central Macedonia ? with the wooden decorations on its façade.
The Gardens of the Pasha
On the large plot of land where the Aghios Dimitrios Hospital is built, namely in the space
between the hospital and the tuberculosis sanatorium demolished in 1955, stands a small
group of buildings intended to adorn the huge gardens that once belonged to the hospital.
This great open space was surrounded by high walls and planted with pines, while in one
section there was a seating area with fountains and other decorative features, intended to
provide cooling relaxation for the visitor, as well as a splendid view of the city below. The
Gardens of the Pasha (no specific Pasha appears to be meant by the title) were laid out in
1904, according to an inscription in one of the walls. They provide an example of the
architecture of the imagination given free play in the open air. Moreover, they are the only
completed work representing this current of architecture in Thessaloniki. Only a few of the
original buildings have survived, scattered over an area of 1,000 square metres: a fountain
with a tunnel around it, a cistern for collecting rainwater, a low gate leading into an
underground area, and an elevated seating area.
Alysseos Tower or Trigonio Tower (Tzintzirli Kule or Kousakli Kule)
The name is later than the tower itself, and was borrowed from the Byzantine name of the
district where it stands (Trigonio). It was at this point that the Turks breached the defences
of the city in 1430. During the period of Turkish rule, it was known as Tzintzirli Kule (tower
of the chain) or Kousakli Kule (girdled tower). In the 15th century, it replaced the Byzantine
Trigonio Tower, incorporating the latter in its construction. This explains its
labyrinthine internal layout. Around the middle of the 16th century, it was modified, taking
the form we see today. It was used up until the 18th century as a powder magazine and
arsenal. This type of tower represented a response to the developments in technology and
the art of war that occurred from the second half of the 15th century onwards, with the
increasing use of artillery. The Trigonio Tower, together with the White Tower and the
Vardari Fort, formed part of the system of defenses constructed by the Turks to strengthen
critical but vulnerable points in the Byzantine fortifications and make them capable of
withstanding the new techniques of warfare.
Eptapyrgio Fort (Yedi Kule)
The Eptapyrgio Fort is an adaptation of an earlier Byzantine fort, which underwent
modification in 1431, immediately after the capture of the city by the Turks, as we learn
from the Turkish inscription above the main gate of its central tower; the walls of the tower
also incorporate some pieces of sculpture taken from an earlier Byzantine building. The
Eptapyrgio owes its name, like its namesake in Constantinople, to the seven rectangular
towers of which it is composed, together with the curtain wall and the central tower of the
gateway, laid out in the shape of the Greek letter ?. It is a polygonal fort, formed on the
north-eastern edge of the Acropolis with the addition of an almost semi-circular wall following
the outline of its enclosure, towards the interior of the Acropolis. The original layout
of the closed fort must date from the late-Byzantine period. Research conducted in parallel
with restoration in recent years has yielded important new evidence on the many
interventions and repairs the fort has underwent, as well as on the original form and articulation
of the towers, which have internal vaulted stairways to allow communication
between the different floors. The most radical modifications appear to have been made to
the central entrance tower in the period of Turkish rule, when the fort was used as the
headquarters of the Turkish governor. In the late 19th century, the fort was converted into
a prison, known by the Turkish name of the fort ? Yedi Kule. Various new structures were
built to serve the needs of the prison, both within the fort and on the external southern
face ? which was completely concealed. The prison was closed down in 1989 and the fort
now houses the offices of the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities.