Tatoi Palace

Tatoi’s palace and its auxiliary buildings have undeniable historical and cultural value.

This palace was the main residence of the members of the former royal family of Greece. The purchase of the Tatoi estate was completed after successive purchases by King George I and the concession by the Greek state of an area of 15,000 acres of the Buffy National Estate. The first purchase was made in 1871. Also, in 1891, George I exchanged an area of 1000 acres in Adames with various residents of Menidi.

In 1916, with the resignation of Venizelos’s government and the ensuing national division, a large part of the Tatoiou estate (28,000 acres) and auxiliary buildings of the palace were burned. In fact, two supporters of King Constantine were burned while he escaped with small burns passing through the fire to the burned.

After the Asia Minor catastrophe (1922) and the proclamation of the First Hellenic Republic (1923), Tatoi and its palaces became public property. In 1936, with the restoration of Basel, it returned to its first owners. In 1946, after a relevant referendum, the former Royal Family is resettled.

In 1973, with a new referendum, the entire so-called “Royal property” was forcibly expropriated in favor of the state, and in 1975, with the final abolition of the institution of Basel, this property remained to be regulated.

In 1992, an arrangement was made with which an area of 40,000 acres, which includes the palace with all the auxiliary buildings, was given to its former owner and the rest was managed by the “Tatoiou National Park” foundation, the members of the Board. appointed by the former owner of the estate. Small areas are also given to institutions.

In 1994, with a new regulation, the expropriation of 1973 is restored and the whole “estate” returns to the public.

The complex of the palaces of Tatoios includes a number of auxiliary buildings such as staff residences, outposts, warehouses, carpentry, stables, apiaries, livestock units, etc., which are now deserted.

The palace and many buildings can be excellent places for a history museum, environmental education center, natural history museum, provided of course the ownership status is resolved. Their distance from Athens is minimal and the environment in which they are ideal.

The use of the buildings is divided into three (3) sections:

Palace These include the palace, the barracks, the staff building, the Styrm house, the caretaker’s house, the Archbishop’s house, the telecommunications building, the barracks, the kitchens, the drivers’ houses and the garages.
Property Management Includes the officers’ residence, the Directorate, the Forestry, the Outpost, the electricity generator and the ranger’s residence.
Rural These include the hotel building, the A and C complexes of workers ‘houses, the workers’ workshop, the greenhouse, the carpenter-ironworks complex, the staff restaurant, the police station, the gas station, the old stable, the stables, the dairy, the pigsty, the dairy, the butter factory, the winery, the bottling plant and the olive mill.

According to the archeological findings, around the former Tatoi palace and from Paleokastro to Katsimidi, it is speculated that it is the ancient Dhekelia. This settlement in 1935 was mentioned as a recommendation of the Municipality of Acharnes and in 1912 as a settlement of the Community of Menidi. Tatoi existed as a small settlement in the 17th century that belonged to Menidi. In 1935 it was recognized as an independent Community of Tatoi (Dhekelia) to which the settlements of Bafi and Varybobi belong. In 1920 it had 355 inhabitants. In the area there were the palaces of the then kings, the guard, a hotel and a restaurant.

The ancient settlement is located between this hill and the royal palace, near the stables. Here was found the famous inscription of the Demotionides (a group of genera united by common cult ties) by the then director of the royal estate L. Munter, in the year 1883. From it was confirmed the existence of the altar of Zeus Fratri, where the gathering of citizens and the “sanctuary of Leto”. The inscription, which consists of three resolutions, is valuable for the history and topography of the ancient Municipality of Dhekelia, but also for the Attic Legislation, since it referred to the way and the process of registration of citizens in the factions, at the beginning of the 4th century BC. .Χ.

It is an ambiguous (written on both sides) column of white Pentelic marble that ends in a cornice decorated with two embossed olive branches intertwined. It is kept intact, except for the bottom. It has 57 verses on the front and 68 on the back.

From the burial monuments found in the area, we mention, as one of the most important, the inscribed tombstone of the family of Nikodimos Fanios Dekeleos. The tomb of Nicodemus himself was not found.

Other sculptures, inscriptions and pieces of pottery, found east, above the palace park, show the importance of the ancient Municipality of Dhekelia.

Here are some of the most characteristic finds that were once kept in the small Museum of King George I in Tatoi:

The part of the upper right part of a small tombstone, which had the inscription engraved on the cornice: Fanias with the relief representation of a man dressed in a robe (his head was missing)
Parts of two small tombstones, the representation of which was not saved.
Part of a marble tomb relief with a representation of a female figure dressed in a robe, from which only the left part of the body from the shoulder to the knee was saved.
Part of a tombstone with an engraved inscription, from which only the municipal name of the deceased was saved: Krio (eus).
A piece of marble lekythos or bathrobe with a relief representation of a seated woman with a tripod stool, dressed in a robe, a man standing in front of her and two female standing figures, with long tunics, standing between the two figures. It was probably the dead mother with her husband and daughters, who were present at the usual farewell (reception) posture.
The upper half of a marble vase with sculptural decoration of anthem-like leaves and beautiful ankle jewelry.
The part of the upper half of a marble tombstone with embossed streaks, which ended upwards in a capital.
The right part of a marble tomb relief depicting a seated woman, who had one breast bare.
The right part of a marble tomb relief with a representation of an upright female figure, dressed in a tunic and robe, who lifted it with her right hand over her left shoulder.
Large piece of a bathtub with ribbed embossed decoration and nice tangle, at the junction of the abdomen and the shoulder of the vessel.
Part of a kneeling animal.
Marble inscribed pedestal.
Αγαλμάτιο μιας όρθιας γυναίκας, που σωζόταν από την κοιλιά μέχρι τους αστραγάλους και φορούσε λεπτότατο ιμάτιο, που άφηνε να διαγράφεται από μέσα το σώμα της.

Apart from the marble pieces, many pieces of useful pottery from classical times, such as cups, skyphoi, goblets, paintings, etc., were collected by the princes Sofia and Irini and Th. Arvanitopoulou, in the area of the Municipality of Dhekelia. which were covered with black glossy varnish, of the 4th and 3rd century BC.

Inside the royal estate there is a tower, known as the Tower of Dekeleos, measuring 20×20 m., Which dates back to Byzantine times by the way it is built. In its immediate vicinity were found eight sirens, ie jars buried in the ground for the storage of solid or liquid food.