The picturesque seaside village of Nea Fokea with the well preserved Byzantine tower of St. Paul, the picturesque harbor, beautiful beaches and clear waters, attract tourists of all ages. The village has over 2000 inhabitants, which in the summer are more than 10,000 and is just 78km away from beautiful Thessaloniki, the cultural capital of Greece. It is one of the newest villages of Kassandra, which was founded in 1924 by refugees from Asia Minor. Although a new village, it demonstrates a long history. The area has been inhabited since ancient times. The village of Nea Fokea is the ancient village of St. Paul (the name of the village, according to tradition, comes from the holy water of Saint Paul, located in the area), which was destroyed between 1321 and 1407. For this reason, the elder residents of Kassandra, even today, call New Fokea, St. Paul.
After 1407 , the community of the Athonite Monastery of St. Paul,was developed gradually into one of the most remarkable of the monastery. The Tower building of the complex , which is in a dominant position , was one of the most imposing of its kind in Kassandra . Of the buildings in the community only two parts of the two large ground-floor wings of the 19th century and the temple of 12 Apostles survived. This temple has two construction phases. The eastern half of the church dates back to before the revolution of 1821, while the western half of the temple dates back to the mid 19th century .
On the hill of the tower , in prehistoric times ,there was a remarkable settlement, which was probably founded around 5000 BC. We do not know when the tower was built , although there is the unsubstantiated belief that this building was there since 1407. In 1821 ,the tower was established as the headquarters of the leader of the revolution in Halkidiki Emmanuel Papas .
[metaslider id=656]
A festival of great interest is the festival of Saints Peter and Paul on 29-30 June . The ceremony is performed in the chapel of St. Paul, at the entrance of the village. It is basically a Macedonian tomb carved into a rock, which increased the awe of the visitors as well, as according to tradition , the Apostle Paul fled there to escape his pursuers . Inside are excavated rooms and an underground passage , which leads to the holy water .
To the right of the Holy Water is a dark rectangular room, the only place where visitors can stand upright. Today there are only a few traces of frescoes in the corners of the room. In the room there is a marble column related to the altar of the chapel.
The village has a remarkable tourist infrastructure, including luxury hotels, apartments, restaurants, taverns, fish taverns, cafes, pastry shops etc. At the site of the Tower during the summer months, there are cultural events, incorporated within the Kassandra Festival.
[metaslider id=1039][metaslider id=1040]
Recent Posts
