More than 1,000 residents live at the doorstep of Mount Athos and in the shadow of the stunning Tower of Prosforio. Uranopoli may be the last cosmopolitan place that a visitor reaches when they intend to visit Mount Athos, but its name is not due to the fact that it serves as the “gateway” to the monastic state.
The name of the village comes from the Alexandrian city founded in 315 BC by Alexander, the son of Antipater and brother of Cassander. This city was built upon the ruins of Sani, a colony of the Andrians, which was destroyed to its foundations by King Philip II. Surviving coins from the city bear the inscriptions “ΟΥΡΑΝΙΑΣ ΠΟΛΕΩΣ” and “ΟΥΡΑΝΙΔΩΝ ΠΟΛΕΩΣ” and depict Urania Aphrodite sitting on a sphere on one side and the radiant sun with eight rays on the other.
During the summer, the many accommodations are filled with visitors, as well as the surrounding beaches. Most also visit the island of Ammouliani and the Drenia beaches. No one misses the famous Monastery of Zygos, just 2 km from Uranopoli, easily and pleasantly accessible on foot. The archaeological site is well-organized, and the visit to the natural boundary with the monastic community of Mount Athos is an experience not to be missed.
Uranopoli is approximately 120 km from Thessaloniki and is a vibrant town throughout the year. From the small harbor of the Tower of Prosforio, the boats depart with male pilgrims (after receiving the Diamonitirio, a special permit, from the pilgrims’ office) to reach the port of Mount Athos, Daphne.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREA
In the 10th century, the first monasteries were founded on the Athos Peninsula. One of them was the Monastery of Zygos, or Frangokastro, where Saint Athanasius the Athonite, the founder of the Monastery of Megisti Lavra, spent about a year. This monastery, which has been undergoing restoration in recent years, has the unique privilege of being the only one outside Mount Athos, and therefore accessible to women.
In the early 14th century, the Monastery of Vatopedi built the Byzantine tower that dominates the southwestern edge of the village, designed to protect the monastery’s property. It is the largest and best-preserved tower in Chalkidiki. In the 19th century, after an earthquake, the top floor collapsed. It was then repaired and acquired its final form. At the same time, its accompanying buildings were constructed.
After the Asia Minor Catastrophe, refugees from the islands of the Marmara in the Sea of Marmara gathered in this area, finding shelter in the tower, nearby buildings, and tents. In 1926, the first houses of the village were built by a German company, some of which are still preserved. Later, the residents built the church, the school, and began to organize a community named “Prosforion,” later “Pyrgos,” and around 1960 it received its final name as “Uranopoli.”
In 1928, the couple Loch became connected with the village’s life, settling in the tower. Their collaboration, using plans copied from the monastery codes, with women from refugee families who already knew the art of weaving, laid the foundations for a local industry.
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