Tower of Prosphorion, Byzantine tower in Ouranoupolis, Greece
The Tower of Prosphorion is a fortified stone structure with four levels positioned along the coastline of Ouranoupolis in northern Greece. The building displays solid construction with ancient foundations and serves visitors today as a museum.
The tower belonged to the Vatopedi monastery's Prosphorion metochion and is first documented in 1344, though its construction may be older; its typology suggests the eleventh or twelfth century. In May 1379 John Palaiologos, despot of Thessaloniki, stayed here and exempted the metochion from taxes. The 1585 earthquake caused major damage, and after a fire in 1821 the tower stood empty in 1858, when reconstruction began and gave it its present form.
The tower complex belongs to the Greek Ministry of Culture and holds a museum with exhibitions in its rooms. The Lochs, who settled here in 1928, studied the local weaving known as Tower carpets: Joyce ordered the first wooden loom and taught refugee women to dye wool with natural colours, while Sydney drew patterns from Athonite frescoes and manuscripts. Their designs kept traditional hand-woven motifs alive.
The tower is easily accessible from town and can be visited daily. Guided tours are offered during summer months, providing deeper insight into the structure and displayed objects.
Two British-Australian humanitarian workers named Joyce and Sydney Loch lived in the tower for fifty years. During their stay they helped refugees and worked to preserve local textile traditions.
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