The Lefkos Pyrgos

The Lefkos Pyrgos (Λευκός Πύργος), or "White Tower" is a famous historical monument and museum on the waterfront of Thessaloniki - the largest Greek city in the northern Macedonian region of Greece.

Standing Tall

The tower is within walking distance of the main plaza of downtown Thessaloniki, called Plateia Aristotelous, or Aristotelous Square. Surrounding this plaza is the shopping district of Thessaloniki, the most high-end hotels, bars, and restaurants.  

A Violent Past

The tower is the best known castle of Greece, and the symbol of Thessaloniki - however, it has a troubled past. The tower was built sometime in the early 15th century, during the Ottoman Turkish occupation of Greece. It has held names such as "The Fortress of Kalamaria", "Tower of Blood", and the "Red Tower" due to the atrocities that were committed there to Greek prisoners who were executed on its battlements.

It has held names such as "The Fortress of Kalamaria", "Tower of Blood", and the "Red Tower"

A Cleansing

The tower still had a chemise surrounding the structure until early 20th century, after the liberation of Greece from the Ottoman emprie in the Balkan wars. The city of Thessaloniki was annexed back to the Greek state, the tower fell back into the care of Greece, and the wall was taken down. In a gesture of cleansing of its past, the tower was painted white. The paint has faded over the years, yet the stucture still retains its new name, and stands a symbol of pride for Greeks of Thessaloniki, as well as the rest of the country.

The Tower at Sunset

Today, the area surrounding the tower is ripe with activity. For the shot above, I used a tripod with a 1/13 exposure time to capture some of the movement of the crowd, and a low ISO setting to get the most out of the colors in the sky.

With just the right clouds on a clear night in the Summer, you can get some nice Sunset shots of the tower with tourists and city dwellers bustling about and enjoying the evening.

In particular, the Elektra Palace in the plaza has excellent views of the square, as well as a wonderful morning breakfast that you can take from the balcony. It's my mother's favorite, in fact. There are also lots of bars lining the water on the walk leading to the tower from the Aristotelous Square.

   The Tower is now a museum, with exhibits on each floor

For a small fee, you can enter enter and climb the tower - it is now a museum, with exhibits on each floor. As you climb to the rooftop, you are greeted by many views of the harbor from the gated windows.

Night Views

Long exposures and high apertures allowed me to smooth out the sea on a relatively rough night here, and to capture a star pattern around the street lights, which always adds a bit of drama to a photo.

Rooftop Views and Surrounding Area

The tower is surrounded by parks, and sits along the Thessaloniki waterfront, called the Paralia. From the top of the tower, you can effectively see the entire city, and surrounding suburbs.

I'll leave you with one last pic of two of our little travel companions for the day. They were very patient and excellent sports, allowing the vacationing parents to get their geek on at a museum, while being incredibly pleasant throughout lunch as well.