White Tower of Thessaloniki

The cylindrical Ottoman tower on Thessaloniki's waterfront is the city's best-known landmark. In Greek it is Lefkós Pýrgos. It was built after the Ottoman conquest of 1430, probably on the site of an earlier Byzantine fortification, and served for centuries as a fortress, garrison and prison. Its grim reputation as a place of execution earned it the name Tower of Blood, and its present name comes from a whitewashing in the late nineteenth century.

Inside, a stone stairway winds up through the floors, each given over to a different part of Thessaloniki's story, from its founding through its Byzantine, Ottoman and modern periods. The displays focus on the city's people, trade and daily life rather than on a large collection of objects. The climb ends on the rooftop, which looks out over the seafront promenade and the Thermaic Gulf. The tower draws close to 300,000 visitors a year and suits anyone wanting a compact introduction to the city's history.