Former Tannery
The former tannery today operates as a place of artistic activities.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1912 The business reached its peak.
1935 It was bought by Georgios Charalambidis and housed Macedonian Tannery Ltd.
1980 At the end of the decade it closed permanently.
1995 It was damaged by the Kozani earthquakes.
1996 It was restored as a multi-purpose venue.
2009 The current multipurpose hall began to operate.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
1907 The tannery was founded.
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
Today it is a well-known multipurpose venue of the city, which hosts concerts, theatrical performances, alternative, underground and other events. In the past, it was a tannery and it is located next to another tannery, the current Porto Palace Hotel. The main building is 38m long and 23m wide, has two-pitched roofs and is covered with the characteristic red brick of the industrial units of the time. Despite its industrial architecture, the main building also featured eclectic decorative elements. There are also additional buildings around it.
What I can't see
The tannery was founded by Nussias brothers and was the first large tannery of the Ottoman Empire. Already since the 18th century, the processing had passed from farmers to specialized leather craftsmen. The proximity to the slaughterhouses, the port and the railway favoured the flourishing of tanneries in the area, during the late 19th century. The unit had a 75 horsepower and the ground floor housed the heavy machinery, while the upper floor housed the dryer, dyer, chemical laboratory and probably offices. It produced products of excellent quality and supplied the markets of Asia Minor, Albania, Syria and Egypt. Today’s multipurpose cultural event venue emerged after a three-day festival that unexpectedly attracted thousands of people.
Info
- Address: 33 26is Oktovriou St.
Bibliography
https://vidarchives.gr/reports/2021_01_771
Last visit 2/6/2023
Field observation by scientific editors.
Zafeiris Ch. (1997), Θεσσαλονίκης Εγκόλπιον, ιστορία, πολιτισμός, η πόλη σήμερα, γεύσεις, μουσεία, μνημεία, διαδρομές, [Thessaloniki Handbook, history, culture, the city today, flavours, museums, routes], Athens: Exantas
Olympitou E., (2003), Techniques and Occupations, an ethnological approach, in Ιστορία του νέου ελληνισμού, 1770-2000, [History of modern Hellenism], Ellinika Grammata, v.1, p.p. 305- 316.
Open House Thessaloniki, (2017), Former Tannery, ΟΗΤΗ
