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Visit the
White Tower
site
The new permanent exhibition at the
White Tower, dedicated to the city of Thessaloniki and housed in the
monument-symbol of the city, opened its
doors to the public.
The exhibition, organized by the Museum
of Byzantine Culture, presents aspects
of the history of Thessaloniki through
time, thus providing the visitors with a
better insight of the city, its
monuments and museums. The goal of the
exhibition is not to turn the city
into a museum,
but to introduce it to its visitors and
its citizens, creating a new and
essential relationship between the
people and the city.
The new museum aims at becoming the
starting point for a tour of
Thessaloniki, without, however,
undermining other museums. Additionally,
from a museographic point of view, the
exhibition's design fully respects the
monument's unique architectural
identity. Therefore, the exhibition
neither competes with nor hides the
monument; on the contrary, it reveals
and stresses its beauty.
Discovering the
city's history
Through the presentation of features
that characterize Thessaloniki through
time, such as the city's urban
character, the exhibition focuses on
important moments and aspects of the
city's life. The thematic displays of
the ground floor, as well as of the six
storeys
of the White Tower, refer to the
geographical position of Thessaloniki at
the crossroad of sea and land trading
roads, the transformations of its urban
development, the important moments of
its history -as presented through its
monuments-, the city's spiritual and
cultural life, as well as its
inhabitants and culinary world. As a
result, the visitors shall have the
chance to experience an intriguing trip
in time from the day of the founding of
Thessaloniki to its recent past,
accompanied with the sounds, the special
atmosphere, the spirit and the tastes of
the city.
In every section of the exhibition,
information is provided on a two leveled
pattern; in the center of each floor
each subject is generally presented,
whereas in the surrounding rooms, the
visitors, through the use of various
multimedia applications, may acquire a
more in-depth information by selecting
their own pace and course in the
exhibition. Furthermore, the turret of
the White Tower functions not only as a
space for viewing the city and
surrounding area, but also as an
extension of the exhibition space. In
specific spots, panels have been placed,
informing the visitor on what one sees
today and what once used to exist.
The difficult task of presenting a
23-century history in a space of 450m²
was accomplished through the use of new
technologies; information is presented
mainly through impressive applications
of image and sound, as well as touch
screen multimedia applications, all
harmonically combined with the limited
number of objects displayed.
Additionally, information is provided
through a DVD-ROM and the museum's
website www.lpth.org. The DVD-ROM, which
encompasses all the applications and
information, will be distributed to
schools. Visitors of the website will
have the opportunity to view a digital
map of the city with monuments and
museums, a timeline with events relevant
to Thessaloniki, scientific articles of
distinguished historians and
archaeologists, bibliography on the city
and recipes revealing the diversity
which characterizes the city's culinary
identity.
Private collectors from Greece and
abroad as well as cultural institutions
generously contributed material to the
exhibition.
Visiting the exhibition
The idiomorphic and special internal
arrangement of the Tower did not allow
the realization of necessary
interventions, in order for the White
Tower to have the basic infrastructure
of a modern museum building. Therefore,
the exhibition does not provide air
conditioning, toilets for the visitors,
cafeteria and cloakroom. Due to the fact
that the installation of a lift was also
impossible, people with disabilities
shall have the opportunity to visit the
exhibition only virtually, through
information points at the ground floor
of the building. The need to maintain
stable temperature conditions and the
limited resistance of the monument have
necessitated a strict visitor flow
control, based on international
practices. According to a special study,
the number of visitors entering the
monument and visiting the exhibition
shall not exceed 70, so as to sustain
the required temperature and humidity
conditions. Therefore, organized group
visits (schools, groups) will be
possible only through a booking
procedure. The White Tower exhibition
will be open from Tuesday to Sunday,
from 08.30 to 15.00. |
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