Traveler's Guide

East Macedonia & Thrace

Cocoon house Kalesi

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Among the most characteristic and peculiar buildings of Soufli, imposed by their volumes, are the "bitziklikia" (Coccons Houses) that exclusively service the needs of sericulture. A representative example is the "bitzikliki" of Kalesis, which was built in 1850 and until 1975 it served as a (Silkwarm) Cocoon House. It is a three-Storey building of a total area of 490 sq.m, functioned as storage of boiled cocoons. In the building all the process of the silkwarm cocoon was taken place: the boiling in special caldrons, the drying in a specially constructed spaces, the storage and the trading. The building is an example of "industrial" architecture of the 20th century. The ground floor, with external dimensions of 14 x 19 m and brick masonry in the perimeter, is divided into three zones of arrays of wooden columns. The first floor is built with brick mansonry. On the second floor the brick mansonry is restricted to the middle parts of the building, while the long facades are built with “Tsatma” ("Tudor style construction"). These two floors were full of “silkworms’ beds”. The building was designed in industrian style, which is clear on its facades, with its symmetrical and smooth structure lines, and its construction with the brick belts, the cornerstones in the first floor and brick pilasters on the second level and the metallic connectors that ensure coordination of the envelope with the wooden frames. The entire building have large wooden framed windows to ensure the proper lighting of space and wide external walls, approximately 70 cm, making it possible to maintain a constant temperature.


Nowadays Kalesi"s Dollhouse operates as a hostel.


  • Address
    Olorou & D. Mokalis street, PC 68400, Soufli
  • Contact Information
    No information available.