Xanthi’s train station

During the period of economic prosperity in the city of Xanthi, which lasted between 1860 and 1910, the construction of the railway line connecting Thessaloniki with Alexandroupolis was completed. Initially, the reasons for its construction were related to the military needs of the Ottoman Empire; however, the line also served to transport people and goods, connecting Thessaloniki with Adrianople and Constantinople. The photo depicts the Xanthi station, which first operated in June 1896, captured in one of the few postcards by the Komotini photographer Xenophon Papazekos. Today, it is probably perceived as a nostalgic depiction of the once-modern architecture and soundscape of that era.

Creator: Xenophon Papazekos (1925)
Source: Tasos Tefronidis’ private collection