Kastrologos

Castles of Greece
 

Chalkero, Kavala, East Macedonia & Thrace

Wall of Akontisma

  
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Location:
On the elevation Palia Pyli, east of Kavala overlooking Egnatia NR
Region > Prefecture: Greek Map
East Macedonia & Thrace
Kavala
Municipality > Town:
City of Kavala
• Chalkero
Altitude:
Elevation ≈ 250 m 
(Relative Height≈45 m)
Time of Construction   Origin
perhaps around 5th cent.  
Early ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΕ
Hon 
Castle Type   Condition
Cross-Wall  
Not Good
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A cross-wall on the hill Palia Pyli (modern translation of the old name Eski Kapi) east of Kavala and west of the village Chalkero overlooking the National Road (Egnatia road).
The monument is registered as “Cross-Wall of Akontisma” because it is relatively close (actually 7km) to the old town Akontisma which was also a station on the ancient Egnatia road. Akontisma was known as the last city of Macedonia to the east.


Structure, Fortification & Buildings

This is a long, straight fortification consisting of two parallel walls 0.75 to 0.80cm thick protecting an inner corridor 1.0 to 1.5m wide.
Its length is about 250m and its preserved height from 0.5m to 3.5m.

At the northern edge, there are the remains of a rectangular tower. A similar tower must have existed at the other end, at the south. However there is no trace of a southern wall neither traces of a gate, which reasonably should be somewhere in the middle.

The date of construction is unknown. A possible chronology would be the 4th or the 5th century AD when invasions from barbarian tribes had become a big problem for the eastern empire.

To the west of the wall, at 80m, there is a strong tower which is from the Ottoman period.


First entry in Kastrologos:    December 2019

Sources

  • Κωνσταντίνος Τσουρής, ΝΕΑΠΟΛΙΣ - ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΠΟΛΙΣ - ΚΑΒΑΛΑ / ΔΙΟΡΘΩΣΕΙΣ - ΠΡΟΣΘΗΚΕΣ - ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΧΥΡΩΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΥΔΡΕΥΣΗ, ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΟΝ ΔΕΛΤΙΟΝ, τόμος 53 (1998), Μέρος Α’ - Μελέτες, Αθήνα 2002, σελ. 411-412
  • Pictures by Dr. Andreas Wolff December 2018
  • Imformation by Mr. Kostas Ketanis