The water supply in Ano Poli

This is a thank-you letter to the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Charisios Vamvakas, written by the residents of several streets in Ano Poli: Vlatadon, Mironos, Epimenidou, and Kastoros. In the letter, the residents thank Mr. Vamvakas for the works that were carried out during his tenure (without naming them specifically) and request the installation of a water pump. They note that ‘not since the Turkish rule have such works been undertaken’. The letter was published in the newspaper Makedonia on August 5, 1931, almost a decade after the refugees had first settled in the area.

The problem of the water supply to Ano Poli in general and the refugee neighbourhoods in particular was both extremely important and infinitely complex. The arrival of the refugees had dramatically increased the city’s water supply needs. In Ano Poli there were several water pumps, installed since the time of the Turkish rule. The water reached the area from Mount Chortiatis through the forest of Seikh Su and from there to Vlatadon Monastery, near which there was a large reservoir and the supply branched out. The western side of Ano Poli, delimited by Horhor Su Square (‘Bubbling Water Square’), today known as Mouschoundi Square, was supplied by the Lenbet aqueduct. There were also many artesian wells in the large yards of the Ottoman houses.

The arrival of the refugees and their haphazard settlement exacerbated the problem. The neighbourhood water pump could no longer cover the increasing needs of what was quickly becoming a densely populated area. During the interwar years, efforts were made to upgrade the water supply network, but the difficult morphology of Ano Poli and the lack of urban planning proved major setbacks.

Charisios Vamvakas, a liberal politician with a long career, served as mayor of Thessaloniki from 1931 to 1933, when he was removed from office. Following administrative inspection, the General Governor of Macedonia, Filippos Dragoumis, suspended Vamvakas as part of the political persecution of Venizelos supporters. The municipal elections of that period, much like the parliamentary elections, sparked serious conflict between the pro-Venizelos and the anti-Venizelos camps. The refugee vote in Thessaloniki was the deciding factor in the election and swaying refugees to their side was imperative for candidates, especially liberals. Hence, Vamvakas’ election, like that of other mayors during the interwar period, relied largely on the vote of the refugee population. During his tenure, Vamvakas arranged an external loan and started carrying out extensive public works throughout the city.