1504 – a visit to the Milutin tower

During my visit in September 2013 I had the opportunity to pay a visit to this tower, build in 1300/1302 by Milutin, the younger son of the Serbian king Stefan Urosh I. The tower is build to defend the Serbian Chilandar monastery, that is located about 2 km inland. From the tower you can the NE-coast of Athos and the ruins of Agiou Basiliou.

DSCN2407 (Large)View of the Milutin tower from the road to Esfigmenou (NE-coast and Cape Arapis)

Athos 1914-18 Mitulin tower 2                                             Athos 1914-18 Mitulin tower

Pictures (autochromes) of the Milutin tower in 1918 by Cuville: notice that the houses are still intact!

mitulin1

Milutin towerAgain an old picture of the tower from 1923 by Whittemore and Pratt, with a damaged roof and the houses attached to it (and a small cypress tree).

DSCN2408 (Large) The SW corner of the tower in 2013

DSCN2410 (Large)The door to the – ruined – house: all roofs of these houses disappeared and the walls seem to crumble down soon…

DSCN2411 (Large)Inside the former house, with a stone door to the next room

DSCN2412 (Large)This the place where the houses were attached to the tower: could this have been a small chapel, looking at the niches in the wall?

DSCN2413 (Large)The west-side of the tower: a stair leading to the entrance

DSCN2414 (Large)The entrance to the ground floor of the tower

DSCN2416 (Large)Inside the tower: the floors of the first and second  floor collapsed.

DSCN2417 (Large)Tthe ground floorDSCN2418 (Large)the winding stairs

DSCN2419 (Large)From the first floor looking down

DSCN2420 (Large)From the second floor

DSCN2421 (Large)The third floor is new, with the door to the balcony

DSCN2422 (Large)Picture of the renovated roof

DSCN2425 (Large)The balcony just under the roof: SW direction, the road to Chilandar

DSCN2424 (Large)The large Chilandariou vineyards: South of the tower and in the background Chilandar arsanas buildings

DSCN2423 (Large)More vineyards and Agiou Basiliou

DSCN2427 (Large)Agiou Basiliou seen from the tower

DSCN2426 (Large)Photo looking down from the tower: S-wallDSCN2428 (Large)The remnants of the houses. Look how the cypress tree has grown in 90 years.

DSCN2429 (Large)Ground floor again: a hole in the ground leading to ….?

Wim, 21/1

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