Sarachini Tower

The Tower of Sarakinis, near the coastal settlement of Heraion in southern Samos, is the island’s oldest tower‑house and dates to 1577. Built by Nikolaos Sarakinis, one of the first settlers of Samos after its repopulation, the tower is an emblematic monument of the island’s new historical course. Standing 12 meters tall with three floors and a basement, it impresses with its fortified character, robust construction, and stone windows adorned with the Maltese cross. Beside it stands the twin church of Saint John the Theologian (1602), which completes the historic ensemble. The Tower of Sarakinis remains to this day a symbol of Samos’s repopulation and cultural identity.