This time we take a closer look at the interior and details of the tower, which dates from 1512/1521, nearly 500 years old. But before showing the interior I will show you a picture of Google Earth from 2003 and two pictures from 40/50 years ago.

 
Aerial of Kaliagra, with the balconies still intact. Have a look at the two piers in front of the tower: it looks like boats could sail into the tower!

A ruin of a building with once 4 arches ,some 30 meters the left from Kaliagra, with a house on the background and the buildings of Iviron furtherdown the coast.

A more closeby shot from this sea site ruin.

And then we take a closer look at the door (I) at the stairs G (see a plan in post 1210). As you can see, it was firmly closed with a chain. But if you stick your cameralens through the keyhole you can see this:

And in more detail you can see the house of the keeper(s) of this building. The door opening on the other site is to be seen on a picture of the second balcony of the sea site (see 1210). Let's take a closer look at the tower. The rusted iron door (F) at the wooden stairs/passway (H), which is – by the way – easily accessable and relatively new (and save), was not closed and has a monogram above it (I.K.T.M.=Iera Koutloumousiou?).

When I pushed the door it I found out it was not locked. Not used to the fact entering uninhabited houses, the next picture is slightly unsharpe:

A simple ladder was made to give acces to next floor: a thick bar has been cut to get through! On the first floor only empty paint cans were found. The "window" on the right could have been the place were the canon was situated (?) – see Dimitris' comment from 27/11 at 929.

I did not dare to climb any higher than the next floor, where I only saw some old scaffolds.

While leaving the tower on my way to the ground floor/the entrance of the old boathouse, the view towards the pier looks like this (with Stavronikita on the background):

The entrance to the tower, with small boats in front of it. These boats are used by a fisherman from Koutloumousiou, as I have seen with my own eyes on the 29th of September 2009.

The interior of the tower. Obviously the room is not in use: scaffolds, an oil drum, rubbish, piles of sand and other debris fill the space, with a wooden structure above. Imagine that there used to be water here with boats in it.

In the back of the room, with a black ceiling from fires that were lit inside, some interesting objects appear.

Four large wooden poles with rectangular or round holes in it, one of them V-shaped. I suppose some kind of structure was used to pull the boats inside, or could been pieces of an olive oil press? I think that cleaning the floor will profide a lot of answers, but I hesitate to say that this should be done. Isn't the building beautifull enough in its purity and simplicity? If you compare it with the rigid renovated area and buildings of the monastery Dionysiou, I do not what I would prefer…………

Also notice the hole in the wall,  away to get access to building B?

A picture with dust particles in the air, showing the entrance to the tower. Notice the Agios Nicolaos icon (protector of sailors) on the right side of the door!

On the leaving the building old signs show you the way back to Stavronikita,

and on almost the same spot you will a new sign of Friends Of Mount Athos (FOMA), who do a good job, following the tradition that Reinhold Zwerger started on the Holy Mountain, to maintain the old footpaths and re-open lost ones.

 Wim, 5/4