Greece - Thessaloniki, White Tower

The White Tower is the most well known monument of Thessaloniki and a famous landmark of the city. The tower, which once guarded the eastern end of the city's sea walls, was for many years attributed to Venice, to which the Byzantines ceded Thessaloniki in 1423. It is now known that the tower was constructed by the Ottomans sometime after their army captured Thessaloniki in 1430.

The Tower was used by the Ottomans successively as a fortress, garrison and a prison. In 1826 here was a massacre of the rebellious prisoners. After that the tower acquired the name "Tower of Blood" or "Red Tower".

When Thessaloniki became a part of Greece in 1912 the tower was whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of cleansing and it was named “White Tower”. The Tower has now a buff colour, but has retained its name.

The tower is located on Thessaloniki's waterfront boulevard at the Thermaic Gulf. Nowadays it houses a museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki.