Fourka is 105 km from Thessaloniki and is a magnet for thousands of tourists. As the traveler arrives, he initially sees its beautiful coast, the so-called Skala Fourkas. The village is 2 km away. The natural beauty and history of the village are combined with modern hotel equipment and cosmopolitan life. The traditional hospitality of the residents is noteworthy, which creates the conditions for every visitor to feel comfortable. Fourka is not devoid of historical interest. An inscription in the cemetery church of Agios Athanasios takes us back to Roman times. The Byzantine finds that recently came to light in the ruins of the holy Church of Agios Ioannis, as well as the country chapels and the listed houses (remarkable for their architectural structure) are examples of the course of this place through time. The inhabitants of Fourka participated in the revolution of 1821. A great fighter of the revolution of 1821 was Georgios Rigas.
An earthly paradise with pines, olives and all kinds of trees and flowers. A place where the sea shines in the sun, wide, calm and which combines wonderfully with the mountain pine. The clear sea of the village beach has deservedly won "the blue flag of Europe". The beauty of the landscape is complemented by the enchanting sunset with the red, purple and orange shades that paint the horizon. In addition to the natural environment, the excellent tourist organization makes the visitor's stay comfortable and pleasant. The satisfaction of vacationers is enhanced by the provision of entertainment. At the cosmopolitan beach of Fourka, the nightlife takes on a frenetic pace and satisfies all the desires of the visitor. Certainly, the visitor's tours along the sea or in the forest that surrounds the village remain unforgettable.
Narrative from 1999 in the local dialect of Kassandra: Alexandros Printsios (Former president of the community of Fourka)
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
The village was originally built in Mavroutsa, northwest of the current village. Now only the church, Mavroutsa, and some tiles scattered in the fields remain. This church of ours is dedicated to the Life-Giving Spring and is celebrated every year on the first Friday after Easter. But I don't know why, I call it Mavroutsa. This village has existed since the 17th century. It was destroyed by the Turks in the great destruction of 1821. Nothing remains. Most of them had fled. Some who remained were massacred by the Turks. Only an old woman and a young man survived near the altar of Mavroutsa. There is still the hole that the old woman and the young man crawled into. I did not go to see it, but many who went and saw it told me. As the grandparents used to say, this is where the old woman and the young man lived.
When people started to return, when the amnesty was granted, because there was a monastery or a section in the cemetery, I do not know exactly, where the church of “Agios Athanasios” is, people went and settlement over there. This church is very old, maybe even older than Mavroutsa, the monks would have built it. So they went down from the old village, Mavroutsa, down here near the pit. They didn't go to the beach. That pit was a trap back then, you couldn't get through, it was full of osiers, wattle and daub. To get through, you had to know a path that used to exist, as the grandparents used to say, you had to know it, to go, otherwise you wouldn't get out.
It is said that there is some connection between our village and Fourka in Epirus. Many of our people went up there, to this village, in Epirus, and from the discussions they had, they found certain place names that were the same as ours, such as Tambouria, Tsouga, Sakleika, which we have here too, also the same surnames, such as Tzekas, Tzekis and others. Now, either our people had to go up there in the summers or they had to come here in the winter. And one year, a family whose children had fallen ill were forced to stay here for the summer, they had a good time, they had a good summer and since then this family has not left again, they stayed. They must have been Kichayadis, they had sheep. But they may also have been builders. I rather believe that they were nomads who had sheep. So, this first family stayed there, they never left again, and little by little others began to settle near them, and thus the village was created.
This pit, as we call it, the torrent, was small at the time, because this whole area up to Kassandrino was very dense forest, there were no fields. Then there were clearings, fires, logging and the torrent began to grow. The first rivers took away huts and threshing floors, some Adameikis huts, some Princeikis huts that were next to the river, they took all of that. Now, when it rains a lot, a big river forms. A few years ago, houses were flooded, the water reached three or four meters. There was also a narrow bridge that prevented the water from passing and a whole lake formed. And when the bridge broke, the waters rushed in and caused great damage. It had been shown on television.
We had a good time here. People were friendly to each other. An entire civil war passed, without a single victim from our village. Until the fifties, we were a village full of revelry. All of Kassandra gathered here. You wanted taverns, you wanted clarinets, every weekend there were dances in the dance hall, festivals, the clarinets were playing, Uncle Nikolas Katsapateras would excite the people with his clarinet, Uncle Nikolas Liapis played the burgana, the lute, that's what we called it. Here in the churchyard was the dance hall and every Sunday there was a dance. Our school functioned well, we had good teachers, good teachers came from our village. Fourka was the main village, after Valta it was Fourka. We were financially comfortable, with professions that no other village had. What could you want that you didn't have here? It had builders, saddlers, beekeepers. Even today, Fourka has seventy beekeeping families, maintaining one of the largest cooperatives in Halkidiki after Arnea and Nikit'. The first green olives that were sold were sold from Fourka.
Narration of 1999 in the local dialect of Kassandra: Christos Makris (Priest of Fourkas)
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
Let me tell you first about the name “Fourka”. There are two versions. One says that its first inhabitants came from Fourka in Pindos two or three centuries ago and settled here, and the other that the name came from the word “fourka”, which means forked stake, fork, because as you can see, our village is between two wooded hills. At first, the village was in Mavroutsa. Then they came down here because they were afraid of the pirates. And here's how it happened. In Mavroutsa, they had a priest, his name was John, who taught the children to read and write. But he left and then the children went to Papa-Kyritsis. He, together with two or three monks, held the metokh that later took the name of the. It was a little further from Mavroutsa. And today the place is called Papakyrits'. It also had a church, Saint Theodore.
Yes, but the pirates from the sea saw the smoke coming out of the fireplace and went and slaughtered the children. Only one escaped by getting stuck in the chimney. He came to the village, in Mavroutsa, and said, this evil has happened. The people were afraid then and came down here. Here there was a metochia, “Saint Athanasios” they called, which belonged to the monastery of Saint Demetrius, opposite the Stomio of Larissa. When people were afraid, they went near monasteries and metochia. And so little by little they settled here, built houses and some horse-drawn mills to grind wheat.
I asked a professor to tell me if the word “Mavroutsa” is Greek or foreign. He told me it was Greek, but I don't know where it came from. When in 1958 they decided to renovate the church of Mavroutsa, which was in the ground and we had to bend down to get inside, while digging there they found a monument and when they used the bulldozer to open a rock from above, they found the mass grave of eighteen children, their little heads with their teeth, little heads. And so it was confirmed that this evil had happened. This must have happened in the 17th century.
During the collapse of Kassandra in 1821, old Kaldina, the grandmother of Uncle Yan Kaldis, went and hid in a small cave located under the altar of Mavroutsa. This cave had a small window with a piece of cloth in front, and the old woman, Kaldina, would come in and out through it. She lived there for two or three years, her own nun.
My name is Makris. There are Makris in Fourka of Pindos, as well as Parathyrades. We don't know exactly, but in any case, they came here from Epirus, and builders and shepherds with their sheep and goats would come here in the winter, because the climate is mild. Many of them would stay here.
There was another metokh in Panagia Meleti. Its church is dedicated to the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary”. Captain Nicholas Zachopoulos has a long history there. When Father Meletios died, the metokh's lands were rented by a certain Papoulias from Galatista and, because he could not come often, he entrusted the supervision to old Zachopoulos. He hired workers, there were houses there, they also had animals, and he cultivated the fields. They sowed, reaped, and weeded. The captain was very religious and lived on Melet for many years. Once, as they were looking for the star, they saw a light down in the ravine. He took two workers and went to see if it was a fire. When they got there, it was nightfall and because the place was difficult to pass, with many bears roaming around, they only put up a sign and left. The next day they went again, cleared the place, there was a tame oak tree and they moved on. They found a small cave, about forty centimeters wide and fifteen high.
Holy water flowed from there. They put their hand inside, but they found nothing. In the afternoon, however, when the sun's rays hit the cave, they saw stalactites and on the right side an icon of the Virgin Mary. It was painted with egg on a canvas and the canvas was glued to a chestnut tree. Old Zachopoulos then made a makeshift iconostasis and went down to the ravine every day and lit the lamp. After a few years, when Captain Zachopoulos had grown old, his legs were hurting, he decided to move the icon to the monastery. The next day, however, the icon disappeared. They went and found it in the cave. They were then forced to make a request with Father Christodoulos of Daraviga, and so the icon was fixed in the monastery. It remained there until 1954. I, who had been ordained a priest two years ago, moved it along with two other icons, one of Christ and one of Saint Theodore, and we have them here in the village church.
I forgot to tell you, I also have another icon of the Virgin Mary that I found in Mavroutsa in the cave where old woman Kaldina had hidden. In fact, around the icon there were some clay lamps, you know, that were long like tsarouchias. This icon is very worn out, the wood has rotted. I have that one in the church too.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Ioakeim Papaggellos Economist-Archaeologist (10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities)
Kassandra Periodic Publication of the Cultural Association Thessaloniki's Kassandrwn
RESEARCH & PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXT EDITING-PAGE DESIGN:
Vangelis Katsarinis Electronic, Website Builder
MUNICIPALITY OF KASSANDRA: https://www.kassandra.gr/ CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF FOURKA, HALKIDIKI: https://fourkaculture.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/politistikossyllogos.foyrkas
XENOPHON PAIONIDIS (1863-1933) Architect-Senator from Fourka
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
Xenophon Paionidis was born in Fourka in 1863. His father Ioannis was a doctor and was the one who transported the governor of Thessaloniki, Hussein Pasha, on his horse from Siviri, where he had sailed with his ship, to Valta, specifically to the metropolis of Kassandra. Hussein, who was a Greek from Crete and had been converted to Turkish, came to Kassandra to help Metropolitan Iakovos in the construction of the first school building, the one located between the market and the choir of Valta. The building was completed in 1840.
Xenophon learned his first letters in his hometown, Fourka. He completed his high school studies in Thessaloniki, attended the Technical University of Athens, at the School of Architecture, and then went to Munich, Germany for higher studies. He married a German woman, but had no children. In 1893 he returned to Greece, stayed for a short time in Fourka and eventually settled in Thessaloniki. However, he often went down to Halkidiki and collaborated with Metropolitan Irineos. Together they built over twenty schools, churches, bell towers, the Polygyros courthouse, the Ecclesiastical School of Agia Anastasia, as well as the first high school of Valta, the current Town Hall. The foundation stone was laid on June 15, 1924 and was completed in 1927.
Xenophon Paionidis, for all these buildings of his special homeland, not only made the architectural plans, but also supervised the work. Together with Metropolitan Irinaios, they would travel from one village to another on horses and supervise the work, giving instructions. And all this for free, without receiving a single drachma.
X. Paionidis also worked for the Macedonian struggle as a technical advisor at the consulate in Thessaloniki. He was an avid hunter and under the pretext of hunting wild ducks, he would go to the lake of Giannitsa and sketch the huts of the Bulgarians. He would then bring these sketches to the consulate and from there they would be forwarded to the Macedonian fighters.
X. Paionidis also became a senator of Halkidiki and remained in this position until his death. On May 22, 1933, he died at the age of 70 from a heart attack in the monastery of Agia Anastasia. He was buried in Thessaloniki and the funeral was delivered by Metropolitan Irineos. His place in the senate was taken by the doctor Athanasios Economou from Valta.
In Thessaloniki, X. Paionidis' professional activity was great. Together with Vitaliano Pozelli, they were the two prominent architects of the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The Turks, Catholics and Armenians preferred the Italian architect, while the Greeks preferred Paionidis. His contribution to the shaping of the shape of Thessaloniki in a critical period for our history was very great. His activity was not limited only to the city, but also extended to the hinterland.
Upon his settlement in Thessaloniki in 1893, he immediately became associated with the Greek community. He was assigned to inspect and receive from the contractors the buildings of the metropolitan residence and the Theageneion hospital, which had been built according to the designs of the German architect Ernest Ziller. Immediately afterwards, he undertook the construction of the Papafeio orphanage and the completion of the metropolitan church. The construction of the orphanage began in 1894 and was completed in 1903. A little later, in 1906, he also designed the famous Papafeio carpentry shop. The metropolitan church, dedicated to Saint Gregory Palamas, began to be built in 1891 according to designs by Ziller, but a year later the work stopped due to lack of funds. They started building it again in 1902, now supervised by Paionidis. The inauguration took place in 1914.
In 1895, he designed the Katounis inn on Frangon Street, as well as 12 shops on the north side of Agios Minas, which became known as “glass shops”. Another 4 shops were built in 1901-1902. He made the plans for the Bank of Athens and the Bank of the East, which were located above the shops on the north side. Later, in 1909, the well-known portico of Agios Minas was built again using Paionidis’ plans.
In 1908, Xenophon Paionidis designed the Central Urban School, which was located on Iasonidou Street, as well as the Ioannideio Urban School, the current 40th elementary school, and perhaps also the Urban School of Analipsi. He also provided plans for a building for the Metropolis on Agias Sofias Street, where the Pasteur schools are currently housed, in 1905-1906. Finally, in 1909-1910 he constructed a wing of the old building of the Theageneion hospital.
Paionidis eventually collaborated with the Turks as well. He is certainly responsible for the Serres Administration Building of 1898 (today's Prefecture) and probably the Monastery Administration Building and the Municipal Hospital (today's "Agios Dimitrios" Hospital), 1902.
Paionidis designed numerous private buildings, residences and mansions. Some of these are: The mansion of Hadzilazaros (1899), the house of the Pole Jan Lichovnik, the mansion of the Albanian Bey Hasan Pristina, the current School for the Blind, the mansion of the cloth merchant Christos Georgiadis on Evzonon Street (1902), the current art gallery of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, on 25th March Street, (1905), the villa of the Jewish lawyer Emmanuel Raphael Salem, on Archaeological Museum Street, (1907) and the house of the doctor Ioannis Nedelkos on Egnatia Street, near Kamara.
In the hinterland of Thessaloniki, it was written that Paionidis built all the schools of the Greek communities, the churches and the hospitals. Research has not progressed so far that we know all of Paionidis' works outside Thessaloniki. Some of these are, the Lagkadas Administration Building (1911-12), the Epanomi Primary School (1921-23), the Sochos School (1926-27) and the Church of Agios Antonios in Veria (1904).
Finally, we must mention his personal residence in Fourka (1910) which still survives, the Church of the Three Hierarchs in Fourka (1928) and the house of Theodore Stampoulis (1926) in Valta.
There are many other works by Xenophon Paionides, private residences, villas, churches, bell towers and schools, some of which are preserved and others have been demolished.
From all of the above, the conclusion is that Xenophon Paionides was a great architect and a fervent patriot.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dimitris Tsialas - Philologist-Writer Kassandra Periodical Publication of Cultural Association of Thessaloniki's Kassandrinwn
RESEARCH & PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXT EDITING-PAGE DESIGN:
Vangelis Katsarinis - Electronic, Internet Website Builder
The 20mm FLAK 30 cannon in the square of Fourka beach
Tuesday, August 04, 2020
In April 2011, on the beach of the village of Fourka, Halkidiki, an old anti-aircraft gun from World War II was recovered from the seabed with the help of the residents, the Greek rescue team and the municipality of Kassandra. All the locals knew that it had been there since the war of 1940.
About 25 years ago, a similar recovery attempt had been made but had not been successful because it was almost completely buried in the sand and only the gun chamber was visible.
The gun is in good condition despite having been in the sea for 70 years, while even the tires still had air, of course there are several shortcomings such as its barrel, the fenders on the wheels, the sights, etc.
According to testimonies from old residents of the area, the occupying German forces had an anti-aircraft artillery battery stationed on the hill of Kalandra from where they controlled the passage of the Thermaic Gulf from attacks by the allied forces of the Middle East.
The cannon is the 20mm FLAK 30 (Flugabwehrkanone 30) manufactured in 1934-1938 by Rheinmetall-Borsig Mauser and weighing 450 kg.
The photos from the recovery are a kind contribution from Themis Ierissiotis who is also a member of the local Greek rescue team.
