Bijgewerkt 2026·Te voet gecontroleerd·At 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.
Heptapyrgion · Byzantine / Ottoman
Periode
Byzantine / Ottoman
Locatie
Top of Ano Poli, ~25 min uphill
Toegang
Free grounds; small fee (~€3) for the interior prison exhibition
Openingstijden
Daily except Tuesday, 08:30–15:30 (closed Tue)
Benodigde Tijd
45 minutes
Beoordeling
4.6★ · 7,531 beoordelingen
Openingstijden en prijzen voor het laatst gecontroleerd in 2026 — ze veranderen, dus controleer ze op de dag zelf.
Geschiedenis
Hoe het ontstond
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.
Wat Je Ziet
Bij een bezoek
The gatehouse with its Ottoman inscription, the courtyard and towers, and sweeping views down over the whole city to the gulf.
Hoe te Bezoeken
A steep walk up through Ano Poli, or a city bus to the upper town followed by a short climb.
Beste Tijd
Morning, before the midday heat on the exposed hilltop
Galerij
Bereikbaarheid
Locatie
Top of Ano Poli, ~25 min uphill · At the highest point of the Ano Poli citadel
