The towers
The walls of Thessalonica have a long history. Though
the White Tower is perhaps the best known of all
defences, the fortifications date back to the city’s foundation in Hellenistic
times. The wall was shorter in
circumference at the time, since the settlement only took
up a small area, possibly extending north from Egnatia Street up to Olympia Street. All that has been
excavated of the Hellenistic wall is a small part of the eastern section, built
of the well-known local green slate.
The main fortifications around the city date to late
antiquity. The first construction phase was completed in the mid-3rd
century to fend off Gothic raids. Subsequent phases have been attributed to
Constantine the Great, Julian and Theodosius I, emperors in the 4th
century. All three reinforced both sides of the older wall, the towers and the
spaces in between by adding successive masonry skins as overlays. In the phase
under Theodosius I, the east and west parts of the wall had alternating
triangular and rectangular towers spaced at short intervals to strengthen
defence; the south section of the west wall was built of figurines from the
city’s theatre / stadium and other marble spolia. An inscription records
that in the time of Emperor Maurice, repairs to the sea wall were sponsored by
Eusebius, Bishop of Thessalonica. In the reign of Heraclius the northern part of the wall was reinforced with mixed
masonry (opus mixtum), consisting of alternating layers of bricks and rubble.
This was punctuated by numerous brick crosses, possibly to offer extra
protection. The citadel was probably built once the city had recovered from the
Saracen occupation. It was crowned by the Eptapyrgio (“Seven-tower”), now a
complex of buildings dating from mid-Byzantine to Ottoman times.
The city walls
were repaired
many
times;
inscriptions proclaimed the names of those overseeing the works or the date
they were completed, as for instance: Ǡ
Επί Μαρίνου βασιλικού πρωτοσπαθαρίου εκαινουργήθη ούτος ο πύργος, επιστατούντος
Κακίκη βασιλικού στράτορος, έτει από κτίσεως κόσμου ‚ϛτο’ ινδικτιώνος ι’» [“In the time of royal
protospatharios Marinos, this tower was renovated under the supervision of royal
strator Kakikis, Anno Mundi 6370, in the
10th Indiction”]. The Year After
Creation or Anno Mundi
(5508) was the official
calendar the of Byzantines,
while
the indiction
was a year of a period of
fifteen
years, defined for tax purposes
(the date is thus
6370-5508
= 862).
Other inscriptions
mention the foremen or sponsors of repairs
to the wall
in the 12th
century, in 1316, in 1335-1336,
and
in the time of
Anna
Paleologina
and of Manuel
II
Palaeologus.
Renowned installations include the Chain Tower
on the northeastern rim of the ramparts, and the Vardar Fortress on the
southeastern rim. Located at the intersection of the northern and eastern
walls, the Chain Tower replaced an earlier Byzantine
structure known as the Triangular
Tower. It is mentioned in
sources as Zincirli Kule (Chain
Tower) or Kuşaklı Kule (Girded Tower),
on account of the stone cornice that surrounds the core of the tower
like a chain. Τhe Vardar Fortress is located to the west of the harbour, and is
also known as Top-hane or Tabak-hane, after the tanneries once in the area. It was
built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, during a short stay in the city in
the winter of 1546. The fortress consists of a horse-shoe shaped enclosure
adjoining the west part of the city walls, on the south side of which lies the
rectangular Relief
Tower, named after a
Hellenistic relief immured in the eastern wall.
Possibly
the best known of all fortification towers in
Thessalonica is the White Tower,
built
where the east walls meet the sea
walls. It is believed to date to the early
years
of Ottoman
rule.
Dominating the city’s shore, it is a cylindrical stone
structure
standing
34
metres tall, with
a ground floor and
six upper floors,
each
of which
has
a large,
round
central hall
opening onto smaller
quadrangular
rooms built into the thickness
of the outer
wall.
The
floors are
connected
by
a spiral staircase
leading up inside the same
walls.
In the initial construction phase
the
tower
was surrounded by a polygonal
wall with
outposts
at the corners.
During the Ottoman
period it served
as
a prison for long-term convicts, and
was known
as the Blood Tower
or Torture
Tower.
Glossary (2)
spolia:
architectural materials from earlier monuments that are reused as building materials in a later period.
cornice:
architectural feature separating the upper and lower sections of church walls, both inside and out. A thin, projecting band, usually semicircular in cross section.
Information Texts (5)
Constantine the Great :
Roman emperor from
324 to 337. Born in Naissus c. 272 to Roman Caesar Constantius I Chlorus and
Helena. Constantine
received military training, took part in campaigns alongside his father and attained
the rank of tribuno, head of the
imperial bodyguards. After a series of conflicts in which he eliminated all his
opponents, he ascended the throne in 324. As sole emperor, Constantine reorganized the administrative
and military system, changed the currency and founded Constantinople,
which he made new capital of the empire (330). A perceptive man who realized
the growing power of the new religion, he lent subtle support to Christianity,
and signed the Edict of Milan in 313, establishing the principles of religious
tolerance. He took an active part in religious debates and convened the first
Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which proved crucial to the development of the
Christian Church. Through these actions, and above all by supporting Christians
and transferring the capital to Constantinople,
he was in essence responsible for shaping the future course of the Byzantine Empire.
Julian:
Roman emperor from
361 to 363. Also known as Julian the Apostate, he ruled as Caesar along with
Constantius II from 355 to 360, and alone as
Augustus from 361 to 363. Julian was the last emperor in the Constantine dynasty and the only pagan. He
received an extensive classical education at Nicomedia and Athens. As emperor, he attempted to restore
traditional Roman society. His policy was essentially an attempt to revive the
national religion and neutralize the influence exercised by Christianity in the
social strata of the empire; hence the designation Apostate, which was
subsequently given to him by the Christian Church. Julian’s reign only lasted
two years, since he was killed in battle against the Persians in 363.
Theodosius I :
Roman emperor from 379 to 395. Later also known as the
Great, Theodosius was the last ruler of the combined Eastern and Western Roman Empire. He himself divided the empire to secure
an imperial throne for each of his sons, Arcadius and Honorius. Having
successfully warded off barbarian invasions, he left the state to his
successors with the same borders as those laid down by Constantine the Great.
He was an advocate of Christianity, which he helped to spread throughout the
Empire, circumventing the famous Edict of Milan. His strict religious policy outlawed
ancient cults. When Theodosius died in January 395, he bequeathed his empire to
his two sons: the eastern part to Arcadius and the western one to Honorius.
Manuel II Palaeologus :
Emperor of Byzantium (1391-1425).
Born in Constantinople to Emperor John V
Palaeologus and Helen Cantacuzena. As a member of the royal family he was
educated from an early age and became involved in public affairs. He ascended the
throne in 1391, after overpowering those of his relatives who challenged the
order of succession. The Ottoman threat intensified in the early years of his
reign; his time on the throne was marked by invasions and diplomatic efforts to
secure help from the West. When these proved unsuccessful he was forced to sign
a humiliating peace treaty with Ottoman Murad II, acknowledging Byzantium’s subordination
to the sultan. He died on 21st
July 1425, at a monastery where he had taken the name Matthew. Manuel
II was a prolific writer.
Suleiman the Magnificent :
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566. Born in Trabzon, he studied maths,
history, literature, theology and military techniques in Istanbul. Suleiman began his career very
young, at the age of 15, as commander of the Ottoman provinces. In 1520 he
succeeded his father Selim I to the throne. He conducted a series of successful
campaigns, while his fleet led by pirate Barbarossa Hayreddin dominated the Mediterranean and the Aegean.
Suleiman invaded Austria
twice, and made an unsuccessful attempt to occupy Vienna, which he besieged in 1529. This
latest attempt marked the end of the expansionist wars of the Ottomans against Western Europe. He died in 1566.
Bibliography (6)
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2. Μαρκή Ε., Συμπληρωματικά αρχαιολογικά στοιχεία για το Φρούριο Βαρδαρίου Θεσσαλονίκης, 1982
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