{"id":18787,"date":"2025-02-18T17:13:22","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T14:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halu.travel\/?p=16695"},"modified":"2025-06-01T15:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T12:05:11","slug":"the-buildings-of-thessaloniki-longos-mansion-kokkino-spiti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/the-buildings-of-thessaloniki-longos-mansion-kokkino-spiti\/","title":{"rendered":"The buildings of Thessaloniki: Longos Mansion (Kokkino Spiti)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The buildings of Thessaloniki:
Longos Mansion (Kokkino Spiti)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Standing on Agias Sofias Street<\/strong>, Kokkino Spiti<\/strong>, or Longos Mansion<\/strong>, is one of Thessaloniki\u2019s<\/strong> most striking historic buildings<\/b>. Once abandoned and rumored to be haunted, it has now been fully restored, blending its rich past with modern life. Explore with us the history of Longos mansion, from its construction after the Great Fire of 1917<\/strong> to its decline, the myths surrounding it, and its transformation into a vibrant part of the city once again.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you have ever walked down Agias Sofias Street<\/b> in\u00a0\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b><\/a>, you have likely noticed the impressive Longos Mansion<\/b>, more commonly known as Kokkino Spiti<\/b>, which translates to “Red House.” Once a neglected and deteriorating building, it has now been beautifully restored and is home to new residents. The ground floor houses ‘Kokkino Spiti<\/b>‘ Restaurant, offering visitors a chance to dine in a place filled with history and architectural beauty.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Longos Mansion view from Agias Sofias street (1925).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The History of Longos Mansion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Commissioned by the <\/span>Longos family<\/b> in 1926, this historic mansion was part of the effort to modernize <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7 <\/b>after the devastating <\/span>Great Fire of 1917<\/b>. While it does not adhere to a specific architectural style, it features eclectic elements with influences from <\/span>Byzantine architecture<\/b>, including its red brick fa\u00e7ade and decorative columns. Its location next to the Holy Church of <\/span>Hagia Sophia<\/b>, one of the oldest churches in <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7 <\/b>and a <\/span>UNESCO<\/b> World Heritage Site<\/b>, further enhances its historical significance.<\/span><\/p>

Before World War II<\/b>, the ground floor housed the Naousa Textile Exhibition, where Gregorios Longos was a key stakeholder. After the war, it became home to Kafeneio Ermis<\/b>, a popular caf\u00e9 that was one of \u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b>\u2019s most famous gathering spots. Interestingly, the caf\u00e9\u2019s signage remained intact until the recent restoration of the building.<\/p>

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Celebrations from the 100th anniversary from the founding of the Greek state (1930). <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Haunted Legend of Kokkino Spiti<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The <\/span>Longos family<\/b> faced financial struggles after a fire in 1939, and the subsequent war wiped out their remaining wealth, leaving the mansion <\/span>abandoned<\/b>. While the caf\u00e9 on the ground floor remained a lively social hub, the upper floors fell into decay over the years. This neglect led to rumors of the mansion being <\/span>haunted<\/b>, with multiple attempts to reoccupy it ending in failure. For decades, this once-magnificent building stood as a <\/span>ghostly <\/b>relic in the heart of <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b>\u2019s city center.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Longos Mansion seen from Agia Sofia church (2008).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Restoration of Longos Mansion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After several failed attempts by the Ministry of Culture to transform the mansion into a cultural site, it was finally purchased and restored by Ivan Savvidis. Due to the historical and architectural significance of Longos Mansion, its restoration was carried out under strict preservation guidelines, ensuring that its original character remained intact.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Revival of Agias Sofias Square<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over the past few decades,<\/span> Agias Sofias Square<\/b> suffered due to the long-term construction of the <\/span>Thessaloniki Metro<\/b>, turning the area into a construction zone. However, with the restoration of historic buildings like <\/span>Longos Mansion<\/b>, the redevelopment of the square and <\/span>Agias Sofias Street<\/b>, and the upcoming completion of the <\/span>metro<\/b>, this once-neglected area is now becoming one of the most vibrant and exciting places in <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

Today, visitors can explore the square, admire its blend of <\/span>history <\/b>and <\/span>modernity<\/b>, and enjoy some of <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b>\u2019s best <\/span>coffee <\/b>and <\/span>street food<\/b> from hidden gems in the area. Whether you are a <\/span>history <\/b>enthusiast, <\/span>architecture <\/b>lover, or <\/span>foodie<\/b>, a visit to Kokkino Spiti and <\/span>Agias Sofias Square<\/b> is a must when exploring <\/span>\u0398\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03ba\u03b7<\/b>, Greece.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The buildings of Thessaloniki: Longos Mansion (Kokkino Spiti) Standing on Agias Sofias Street, Kokkino Spiti, or Longos Mansion, is one of Thessaloniki\u2019s most striking historic buildings. Once abandoned and rumored to be haunted, it has now been fully restored, blending its rich past with modern life. Explore with us the history of Longos mansion, from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":16722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[665],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-18787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-architecture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18787"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19002,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18787\/revisions\/19002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18787"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halu.website\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=18787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}