Οχύρωση · Byzantine / Ottoman

Heptapyrgion

Ενημερώθηκε 2026Ελέγχθηκε με τα πόδιαAt the highest point of the Ano Poli citadel

The 'Fortress of Seven Towers' — which despite its name has ten — crowns the acropolis of Thessaloniki, a walled citadel that guarded the city's highest ground before spending nearly a century, from the 1890s to 1989, as its most feared prison. It held political prisoners through the turbulent 20th century and lives on in old rebetiko songs by its Ottoman name, Yedi Kule.

The arched gate-tower of the Heptapyrgion fortress in Thessaloniki — Heptapyrgion · Byzantine / Ottoman

Περίοδος

Byzantine / Ottoman

Τοποθεσία

Top of Ano Poli, ~25 min uphill

Είσοδος

Free grounds; small fee (~€3) for the interior prison exhibition

Ώρες

Daily except Tuesday, 08:30–15:30 (closed Tue)

Απαιτούμενος Χρόνος

45 minutes

Βαθμολογία

4.6★ · 7,531 κριτικές

Οι ώρες και οι τιμές ελέγχθηκαν τελευταία φορά το 2026 — αλλάζουν, γι' αυτό επιβεβαιώστε την ημέρα.

Ιστορία

Πώς δημιουργήθηκε

The fortress combines Byzantine towers with later Ottoman additions; its Greek and Turkish names both mean 'seven towers'. From the 1890s until 1989 it served as a prison — a chapter remembered in rebetiko songs — before being restored as a monument.

Τι Θα Δείτε

Σε μια επίσκεψη

The gatehouse with its Ottoman inscription, the courtyard and towers, and sweeping views down over the whole city to the gulf.

Πώς να Επισκεφθείτε

A steep walk up through Ano Poli, or a city bus to the upper town followed by a short climb.

Καλύτερη Ώρα

Morning, before the midday heat on the exposed hilltop

Γκαλερί

Πώς να Πάτε

Τοποθεσία

Top of Ano Poli, ~25 min uphill · At the highest point of the Ano Poli citadel

Οδηγίες

Άνοιγμα στο Google Maps

Καλό να Ξέρετε

It means 'seven towers' in Greek; the Ottoman name Yedi Kule has the same meaning.

Yes — it operated as a prison from the late 19th century until 1989 and is referenced in several famous rebetiko songs.

Διαβάστε Περισσότερα

Οδηγοί στο Saloniki.net

Κοντινά Αξιοθέατα

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Ottoman (15th c.)

Trigonion Tower

A massive cylindrical artillery tower at the corner of the city walls — built by the Ottomans late in the 15th century to mount cannon after their conquest, and known in Ottoman times as the Chain Tower. The Trigonion is the classic viewpoint over Thessaloniki's rooftops and the sweep of the Thermaic Gulf.

Byzantine stone walls and tower above Thessaloniki

Byzantine (4th–15th c.)

Byzantine Walls of Thessaloniki

Long stretches of the city's late-Roman and Byzantine fortifications still stand, climbing the hillside around Ano Poli and offering some of the finest views in Thessaloniki. The walls are among the UNESCO-listed Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki.

Byzantine (14th c.)

Vlatadon Monastery

Founded in the later 14th century by the brothers Dorotheos and Markos Vlatades, disciples of Gregory Palamas, it is the only Byzantine monastery in the city still active — set in gardens high in the upper town with a small church, peacocks, and a commanding view of the gulf.