Ouranoupolis Tower

The Tower of Ouranoupolis, the symbol of the last settlement before Mount Athos, is the largest and best-preserved tower of Halkidiki. It is also known as “Prosforiou Tower”, as it was built to protect the “offer” of the Mount Athos Monastery of Vatopedi. It has a height of 22 meters, has a basement, four floors, and a ground floor, while one more floor existed in the past.

Although the first reference to the tower was in 1344, it is estimated that it was built in the 11th or 12th century. In this phase of construction, the lowest level was built, while during the Turkish occupation the construction of floors continued and during the 1860s the last reconstruction works were made that gave the tower its current form. Since 2005, the tower operates as a museum with findings of the area and the history of the building itself. The Tower of Ouranoupolis was the last inhabited tower of Halkidiki. A couple of philanthropists and activists Joice and Sydney Loch designed the tower as a residence, first helping the refugees of the Asia Minor Catastrophe who arrived in the area. They continued to work with the people for decades, after a break during World War II, where they found themselves in various countries as helpers in the humanitarian crises it had caused. The tower was the residence of Joice Loch until her death in 1982.