The tower of Prosforio

The birds flying around and the fishermen fixing their nets near the pier perfectly match the picture of the lonely, high tower located on the sand. The symbol of Ouranoupoli, the last “postcard” everyone boarding the ship to Mount Athos takes with him, seems to exist there since the 12th century and is the largest and best preserved tower in Halkidiki. The complex consists of the byzantine tower, the small, fortified yard called “barbakas” and the “arsanas” (port) of 1865.

It belonged to the dependency of Prosforion (today’s Ouranoupoli) the original core of which already belonged to the Vatopediou monastery in 1018. Scattered information regarding what happened to the building is found from sources, since the excavations are not yet finished. It is known that in 1379, the despot of Thessaloniki named John Palaiologos was hosted here, that in an earthquake in 1585 it suffered great damage and that in 1858 it was abandoned –a picture commonly seen at that time in Halkidiki. In addition, it was probably burned in 1821, since there are testimonies that in 1858 it was in a terrible condition and abandoned. Its current form came from the extensive repair and reconstruction that followed.

In 1924, after the exchange of population, refuges from Asia Minor settled in the dependencies and founded Ouranoupoli. Several houses were built over time and gradually joined the building set. In 1928, the couple Joice and Sydney Loch came as members of humanitarian groups. They settled in the tower and offered essential help to the refuges and the victims of the 1932 earthquake.