Mordoch Villa
The Mordoch Villa is an eclectic building, with mostly neoclassical, renaissance, baroque and art nouveau elements.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1930 Bought by the Mordoch family, who lived here until 1940.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
1905 Most likely year of construction, under Xenofon Paionidis' design. However, 1906 is also referred to as a year of construction, according to literature.
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
The Mordoch Villa is an eclectic building, with mostly neoclassical, renaissance, baroque and art nouveau elements, which vary on each side, making the building architecturally pluralistic. It is two-storeyed, with a tiled roof, a basement and an attic. Most striking are the castellated corner with a very distinct dome and the pediment of the facade, with the word “Mashala” in Arabic script, meaning “how wonderful”. Finally, the indoor frescoes are by the Turkish artist Mourentin (1905) and have floral themes.
What I can't see
The villa was built for the Turkish Pasha Seifoulah. However, the building was named after its last owner, the Jew Samuel Mordoch. The villa later acquired different functions: German services were settled here during the German occupation, ELAS offices moved in after the liberation and military services during the civil war, and in later years, a playground and a polyclinic. It was then abandoned and targeted by looters, who mostly removed its mobile decorations. It suffered significant damage in the 1978 earthquake but was fully restored after becoming the property of the municipality, originally housing the Municipal Gallery and nowadays, various municipal services.
Info
- Address: 162 Vas. Olgas St. & 25is Martiou St.
- Phone: +30 2310 425531
Bibliography
Ζafeiris Ch., (2014), Θεσσαλονίκη, η παρουσία των απόντων, η κληρονομιά Ρωμαίων, Μουσουλμάνων, Εβραίων, Ντονμέδων, Φράγκων, Αρμενίων και Σλάβων, [Thessaloniki, the presense of the absent, the heritage of Romans, Muslims, Jews, Doenme, Franks, Armenians and Slavs], Thessaloniki: Epikentro
Kazantzidou M., (d.u.), Ο χάρτης της πόλης: Βίλλα Μορντώχ, [The city map: Mordoch Villa], in Parallaxi,
http://www.parallaximag.gr/thessaloniki/o-hartis-tis-polis-villa-morntoh
Last visit 16/8/2014
Kolonas V., (1997), Η συνοικία των εξοχών, [The Countryside District], in Epta Imeres, Kathimerini, p.p.16-19
Orfanidis D., (2016), Υπαίθρια Γλυπτά της Θεσσαλονίκης, παράμετροι υποβάθμισης και φθοράς των υλικών τους, Διπλωματική Εργασία, [Outdoor Sculptures of Thessaloniki, parameters of degradation and wear of their materials], A.U.Th.
