Tower of Manuel Palaiologos #1316

Description

The city was fortified from its foundation, but the current walls date primarily to the early Byzantine period, around the mid-5th century, incorporating sections of an earlier wall from the late 3rd century. The walls follow the typical late Roman construction style, with alternating layers of ashlar masonry and bands of brick. The northern section of the walls connects to the city's acropolis, which had its own fortified enclosure, and within it lies another citadel, the Eptapyrgion.

Extensive rebuilding of the walls was undertaken in the 5th century, likely in the 440s, by Ormisdas. Frequent barbarian raids in the 5th and 6th centuries (by Slavs, Avars, and others) necessitated further reinforcement. When the Saracens easily captured the city in 904 due to defender negligence, the walls were strengthened to counter the Bulgarian threat.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Palaeologan dynasty carried out major repairs on the walls, including the construction of the Anna Palaeologina Gate, and on the Eptapyrgion citadel. In 1430, Venetian indifference allowed the Turks to capture Thessaloniki, after which they invested considerable effort in fortifying the city's defenses.