Tower of Nea Fokea

Μετάφραση Greek Version

Tower of Nea Fokea

The Tower of Fokea or Tower of Agios Pavlos lies on the top of the hill at the right side of Nea Fokea’s port in Halkidiki and is the landmark of the village. It is the only of the numerous monastic towers in Halkidiki that is preserved in its original height. The tower has a basis that covers a surface of ca. 50 sq.m., a height of 17 meters and it was made of materials came mainly from the adjacent ancient site.

The date of construction is not known but it was probably built around 1407 when the Byzantine emperor John Palaiologos donated the area of ​​the present village to the monastery of Agios Pavlos of Mount Athos. The Byzantine tower guarded the great subordinate of the monastery.

During the Greek revolution in 1821, the tower was used as the headquarters of the leader of the Greek War of Independency in Halkidiki, Emmanouil Papas. Next to it stands the small church of Agioi Apostoloi (Holy Apostles), built in 1868. In the tower area cultural events are held throughout the summer, which are part of the Cassandra Festival.