The Alexandroupoli Lighthouse was built by the French Company of Lighthouses and Beacons of the Mediterranean, under contract with the Ottoman government of the time, and was inaugurated on 1 June 1880. Its purpose was to aid navigation in the Hellespont area. It has operated continuously ever since. It stands on the western side of the harbour, is 18 metres tall with 98 internal steps - one of the tallest lighthouses in Greece. In recent years it has occasionally opened to the public for special events and city festivities, without a fixed visiting schedule - it's worth following the Municipality's announcements for open days.
Μνημεία
Holy Church of Saint Anastasia Pharmakolytria - Makri, Evros
The Holy Church of Saint Anastasia Pharmakolytria is the historical and religious centre of the seaside settlement of Makri, with her memory honoured by a large local festival every year on 22 December. It is a post-Byzantine three-aisled basilica which, according to its founding inscription, was erected in its current form in 1833. Historical records and local tradition, however, attest that the original church was founded on the very same spot in 1100. Building new churches over the ruins of older places of worship is a characteristic practice in Makri. The settlement also preserves the remains of an ancient three-aisled basilica - on whose site a mosque was later built - as well as traces of a 12th-century church at the site known as "Episkopeio". The monument's history is inseparably linked to the long course of the wider region. Makri shows continuous habitation since the Neolithic era (Touba, the Cyclops' Cave), was an ancient trading post known as "Tempyra" around the 5th century BC, and served as an important episcopal seat during the Byzantine period (9th-14th centuries). Its strategic significance is reflected in the many Byzantine and Ottoman remains that survive, before the area passed through Bulgarian Occupation and was definitively incorporated into the Greek state in 1920. Inside the church, priceless heirlooms are preserved that attest to the area's unbroken religious continuity. Among them stand out the historic marble baptismal font of 1820, the elaborate 19th-century wood-carved iconostasis, and portable icons dating from the 17th century. Scattered around the church grounds, as well as on the nearby Prophet Elias hill, ancient and early Christian marble fragments can be found.
Μνημεία
Holy Church of Saint Eleftherios - Alexandroupoli
The Holy Church of Saint Eleftherios is one of the most central parish churches of Alexandroupoli, inseparably linked to the city's modern ecclesiastical history since the founding of the Holy Metropolis in 1922. The parish holds a grand festival on 15 December, the feast day of Saint Eleftherios and his mother Anthia, and it is worth noting that in the past the church celebrated the Dormition of the Theotokos on 15 August. In addition, a large festival takes place on 20 June for the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos Odigitria, whose venerated icon is enshrined in a prominent place inside the church. The current imposing church was built during the 1960s and 1970s, following the city's residential expansion eastward. Architecturally, it is an impressive three-aisled stone basilica. Its exterior is dominated by exposed stonework with a tiled roof, as well as elaborate double arched windows framed in red brick. The church is crowned by two tall bell towers bearing crosses, while the large surrounding courtyard is marked by stone arcades with arches and a playground at the front, making it a living landmark for the area. The church's historical weight is reinforced by the fact that, beside the building, lies the tomb of the first Metropolitan of Alexandroupoli, Gervasios Sarasitis (1922-1934). Gervasios was the hierarch who undertook the organisation of the newly established Metropolis under particularly adverse conditions, making him one of the most significant figures in the area's ecclesiastical history.
Μνημεία
Saint Nicholas, patron saint of the city
The patron saint of Alexandroupoli is Saint Nicholas, whose feast day is honoured every year on 6 December. The celebration takes place at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas in the city centre, which also holds a portion of his sacred relic. It was the first church built in the city by its earliest settlers; construction began in 1900 and the first liturgy was held in 1901, under Metropolitan Bishop Germanos of Ainos. In 1908, with financial help from Vlassios Souchour, the Austro-Hungarian consul in Alexandroupoli, its two bell towers were built. It was renovated in 1947 under Metropolitan Ioakeim Kavyris. The church serves as the seat of the Metropolis of Alexandroupoli, Traianoupoli and Samothrace. It also houses the portable icon of the Panagia Tryfiotissa, held in particular affection by the city's residents, while priceless sacred icons and vessels are displayed at the Metropolis' Ecclesiastical Museum.
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