Host Country Studies Trip to Eptapyrgio Fort, Trigonion Tower and Church of St. Nikolaos Orphanos
December 7, 2012
It was a very cold, windy Tuesday morning when Pinewood Middle School
students were taken on a tour of “Ano Poli,” in other words, the
Acropolis of Thessaloniki. Our plan was to visit the Eptapyrgio Fort
first. That’s where our special guide, Ms Stavroula Tzevreni, a
Byzantinologist working for the 9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities,
started her very informative tour. It was interesting to see how the
Fort was built, how masterfully bricks were used for decoration, and
finally, how sturdy and powerful everything looked. We were especially
intrigued by the Fort’s long history, particularly how in the late 19th
century the Fort was converted into a prison, known by its Turkish name –
Yedi Kule.
Our second stop was at the Trigonion Tower on the North-Eastern side of
Thessaloniki. It was through this point that the Turks breached the
defenses of the city in 1430. Immediately afterwards, in the mid-15th
century, the Ottomans replaced the Byzantine Trigonio Tower,
incorporating the latter in its construction. The new Tower was built in
order to deal with the new war technique of using firearms and its
entire design serves this purpose. It was really interesting to see how
the Tower was built, how thick the walls were, how its rooftop could
effectively be used as surveillance terrace of the surrounding area and
how masterfully the archaeologists of the 9th Ephorate restored it to
its original glory.
Our trip ended in the Church of Saint Nikolaos Orphanos. The church
dates from the second decade of the 14th century. It was the catholicon
of a monastery, and it is referred to under the name Saint Nikolaos
Orphanos, or ‘ton Orphanon’, in a codex dated 1745. These names may
refer to the founder, or to the charitable work done by the patron of
the church with orphans and widows. The church is beautifully decorated
with frescoes presenting stories from the life and miracles of Christ,
Saint Nikolaos, and Saint Gersimos. These frescoes, dating around
1310-1320, are considered unique examples of the Palaeologean
Renaissance style.
Amalia Spiliakou
Host Country Studies Coordinator