Mon, Apr 20, 2020
The Byzantine tower of Ouranoupolis village is known as the Tower of Prosforio. It was built in the 14th century, apparently before 1344 by monks of the Vatopedi Abbey in Mount Athos, to protect the area from enemy invasions. It is situated next to the small harbor of Ouranoupolis. This tower is part of a small fortified complex and serves as a base for the Prosforio monastery, which is a dependency of the Vatopedi Abbey.
The building has at least three major building phases. The first, Byzantine (11th-12th century), includes the lower, stone-built section, without the two floors. In the next phase, which was placed in the years of the Ottoman domination and probably after the devastating earthquake of 1585, three more floors were built, of which the two today are preserved. The third phase includes the internal woodworking of the building and the roof that has been rescued to date and was included in the reconstruction works that were completed in 1862. The outer oblique retaining wall was added after the reconstruction.
The current shape of the tower emerged after its extensive repair and reconstruction followed. In 1924, following the exchange of populations, refugees from Asia Minor settled in the grounds and founded Ouranoupoli. Over the years, residences have been built that have been gradually integrated into a single building block. In 1928 Loch, Joyce and Sidney came as members of humanitarian organizations. They were installed in the tower and offered substantial help to the refugees and later to the earthquake victims. The tower complex today belongs to the Ministry of Culture. Museums and exhibitions are organized in it.