About White Tower of Thessaloniki
The White Tower of Thessaloniki is a cylindrical stone tower monument and museum on the waterfront of the city. It has been adopted as the symbol of the city.
History
After the Ottoman Empire seized control of the city in the 15th century, the Ottomans built this tower on top of an old Byzantine fortification to help defend the city’s harbour. The Ottomans used this tower as a fort, a garrison and a prison. The tower was called “the Tower of Blood” or “the Red Tower” when it became the scene of executions during the Ottoman period. When the Greeks took Thessaloniki back from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War in 1912, the tower was remodeled and its exterior whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of purification and that is how it got its present name.
White Tower Today
The White Tower houses the Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki. It presents exhibitions covering the city’s history through time. It has six floors, and the last floor has a terrace that offers a wonderful view of the town. The boulevard below is the famous Beach Promenade of the locals. At night, the White Tower gets illuminated and stands out in the dark background.
- The White Tower is circular, with a height of 34m and a diameter of 22m. Its construction consists of 2 cylinders, an outer and an inner one. Between the two cylinders is the spiral staircase of 92 steps. 40 windows allow daylight to illuminate the interior.
- According to another version, the tower was whitewashed by a prisoner in exchange for his freedom.
- The tower had played an important role in the city’s air defense during the two world wars. It served as a safe place for the storage of antiquities and priceless artefacts from the ancient city.
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