White Tower of Thessaloniki The White Tower of Thessaloniki ( " Lefkos Pyrgos " ) , is a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city of Thessaloniki , capital of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece and a symbol of Greek sovereignty over Macedonia . The present tower replaced an old Byzantine fortification which was mentioned around the 12th century and reconstructed by the Ottomans to fortify the city ' s harbour ; it became a notorious prison and scene of mass executions during the period of Ottoman rule . It was substantially remodeled and its exterior was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city in 1912 . It has been adopted as the symbol of the city . Physical attributes . The White Tower takes the form of a cylindrical drum in diameter with a height of above ground level , on top of which is a turret in diameter and high . Some of the embrasure s in the outer wall of the tower are reached by a spiral ramp ; others are accessed from a central room on each of the six floors . The turret houses a platform with a diameter of , and the platform at the top of the main tower in front of the turret is about wide . The tower has been altered substantially over the years . Early illustrations show that it was originally covered by a conical roof , like similar towers in the Yedikule Fortress and Rumelihisarı fortress in Istanbul . Until its demolition in 1917 , a " chemise " stood at the foot of the tower , supporting the heavy guns and enclosing an area at least three times the diameter of the main tower . Octagonal turrets on the " chemise " and " caponier s " at ground level provided flanking fire around the tower . It is unclear whether the " chemise " was part of the original scheme for the tower or was a later addition . History . The tower , which once guarded the eastern end of the city ' s sea walls , was for many years attributed to Venice , to which the Byzantines ceded Thessaloniki in 1423 . It is now known definitely that the tower was constructed by the Ottomans some time after the army of Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki in 1430 . Until 1912 , an inscription in Ottoman Turkish verse above the door dated the structure to AH 942 ( 1535 – 1536 ) . The historian Franz Babinger speculated that the work was designed by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan , who is known to have built fortifications , including a similar tower at the Albanian port Valona in 1537 . The present tower likely replaced an older Byzantine tower mentioned by the 12th - century archbishop Eustathios during the sack of 1185 . The Tower was used by the Ottomans successively as a fort , garrison and a prison . In 1826 , at the order of the Sultan Mahmud II , there was a massacre of the rebellious Janissaries imprisoned there . Owing to the " countless victims of Ottoman torturers and executioners " , the tower acquired the name " Tower of Blood " or " Red Tower " ( ) , which it kept until the end of the 19th century . The Tower was for centuries part of the walls of the old city of Thessaloniki , and separated the Jewish quarter of the city from the cemeteries of the Muslims and Jews . The city walls were demolished in 1866 . When Thessaloniki was annexed from the Ottoman Empire to the Hellenic State in 1912 during the First Balkan War , the tower was whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of cleansing , and acquired its present name . King George I of Greece was assassinated not far from the White Tower in March 1913 . The Tower is now a buff colour but has retained the name White Tower . It now stands on Thessaloniki ' s waterfront boulevard , Nikis ( Victory ) Street . It houses a museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki and is one of the city ' s leading tourist attractions . The Tower is under the administration of the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of the Greek Ministry of Culture . White Tower Museum . Today , the White Tower houses an exhibition dedicated to the city of Thessaloniki and its history throughout various periods , organized by the city ' s Museum of Byzantine Culture . For the first few months of 2002 it housed ‘ Byzantine Hours ’ , an exhibition devoted to ordinary life in Byzantine times . Exhibits on the first floor were part of the thematic unit entitled ‘ Professionals in the market place ’ . To be more precise , there were tools and other objects belonging to goldsmiths , blade - smiths , cobblers , glassmakers and tilers , coins and a model of the city of Thessaloniki market place . The second floor was devoted to journeys and trade . So exhibits included objects and texts related to journeys by sea and overland , fairs , spectacles and pilgrimages . The third floor is focused mainly on the presentation of the Byzantine home and what it was like inside , the decoration , supper , and the neighbourhood . One floor above this there was an exhibition of life at home with garments and footwear , cosmetics , perfume and jewellery , personal grooming , and even superstitions . The theme of the top floor was death , covering burial and graves , funerary customs , finds from graves , gravestone inscriptions from cemeteries , even objects and specimens of magic were on display in the show cases on the top floor of the Tower . The Tower is open to the public , and visitors have the opportunity to view a map of the city with monuments and museums , a timeline with events relevant to Thessaloniki , scientific articles of distinguished historians and archaeologists , bibliography etc . School excursions may be arranged by contacting the Byzantine Museum ( tel . ( + + 30 ) 2310 868 570 ) . Banknotes controversy . In the early 1990s , the White Tower became the focus of a major controversy between Greece and the newly independent Republic of Macedonia . Unofficial " " Makedonka " " souvenir banknotes created by nationalist organizations in the Republic of Macedonia depicted the White Tower of Thessaloniki , VMRO - DPMNE proposed its adoption . However , the government in Skopje rejected its official use and adopted a different design for the new Macedonian denar , which was issued in 1992 . " IMPRES " , nonetheless , printed unofficial banknotes depicting the White Tower , which were sold as souvenirs on the streets of Skopje , bearing a disclaimer " this is a souvenir banknote and not for official use " . The printing of the notes became the subject of a rumor in Greece that the currency of the new neighbouring state did in fact depict Greek symbols — a highly controversial point , given the dispute with the Republic of Macedonia over its name and flag . The notes were never placed in circulation , as they were not legal tender , but the episode nonetheless exacerbated the ill will felt between the two countries and helped to aggravate tensions in the Balkans .