Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls
Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Thessaloniki audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~75 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~75 min
- Thessaloniki Thessaloniki guide
About Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls
The old upper town that escaped the 1917 fire, a maze of timber Ottoman houses and cobbled lanes wrapped in the Byzantine walls, with the Trigonion Tower and sweeping views over the city and the gulf.
Ano Poli, the Upper Town, is the old quarter climbing the hillside above the modern centre, around the acropolis. Because it escaped the Great Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the lower city, it keeps its older character: narrow cobbled lanes, small squares, and traditional houses, their timber upper storeys overhanging the street. In Ottoman times it was chiefly the Turkish quarter of the city.
The quarter is ringed by the Byzantine land walls, built mainly around 390 AD under Theodosius I on earlier foundations, in bands of stone and brick, and running some four kilometres. At the north-eastern corner stands the round Trigonion Tower, and gates and towers punctuate the circuit, listed by UNESCO in 1988. From the walls, on a clear day, you can see Mount Olympus across the gulf some eighty kilometres away.
Did you know? Ano Poli escaped the Great Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the lower city, so it keeps its old cobbled lanes and traditional timber-fronted houses; it was chiefly the Turkish quarter under the Ottomans.
How long should you spend at Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls?
Plan about ~75 min at Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls worth visiting?
Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls is one of the 13 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Thessaloniki, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Thessaloniki
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Hear the story of Ano Poli and the Byzantine Walls
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