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The Elders’ council of Xanthi and its representatives
The route is about 2 km long, lasts about 60 minutes and is of moderate difficulty. It starts from the district of Agios Vlasios and ends at the district of Akathist Hymn. In it, the visitor will have the opportunity to learn through the buildings about the Greek Orthodox community, the Elders of Xanthi, the most important elders, as well as about buildings related to the activity of the community.

The Elders’ council was the administrative system of the Greek Orthodox community during the Ottoman Empire. The elders, otherwise known as provosts or kodjabashis, were unpaid or salaried representatives, elected by Christians with the approval of the Ottomans. On the one hand, they facilitated the administration and collection of taxes on behalf of the Ottomans and, on the other, they administered the community, took care of its schools, managed the revenues of churches, monasteries and community property, resolved court issues and imposed penitentiary penalties. President of the Elders’ council was the Metropolitan of Xanthi and Peritheoriou. Active metropolitans were Eugenios (1792-1848) and Ioakeim Sgouros (1864-1912). In Xanthi, the Elders met at the Church of Timios Prodromos and later at the Metropolitan Mansion. The schools of the Elders’ council consisted of the Stalios Kindergarten, the Matsinis School, while a school also operated in the courtyard of Agios Vlasios. Well-known names who served as Elders are Michaloglou, Valixoglou, Karabetsis, Chasirtzoglou, Stalios, Sigalas, Matsinis, Velios, Ladas, Stavropoulos etc. Many of them served as ecclesiastical commissioners in the various churches of the city, as curators/teachers of schools, while their benefactions and donations to the Greek Orthodox community of Xanthi were important.

37. Karabetsis Mansion

Brief documentation:

The building was built in 1896, as evidenced by the inscribed year located above the main entrance of the building, in the district of Agios Vlasios by the doctor Konstantinos Karabetsis.
The building was designed from the beginning to function as a residence. It does not seem to have changed use since its inception. It is said that on the ground floor of the mansion the infirmary of the original owner operated.
The pediatrician Karabetsis (1868-1956) was a prominent personality of the local community originating from Asprangeloi (Dovra) of Zagori in Epirus. He developed a rich activity in the Greek Orthodox Community of the city, as he served as a municipal elder and member of the school board. After the integration of the region into the Greek state, he served as a Councilor to the City Council.
The building is an imposing two-storey mansion of urban character, which is built according to the standards of neoclassicism. The exterior of the building is constructed with absolute symmetry and includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, a cornice between the first and second floor, decorative cornices on the coronation of the masonry and ceramics on the roof. Above the main entrance of the building there is a large square skylight with colored glazing, which is covered with ornate ironwork.
Similar ironwork is found in the basement windows. On the first floor of the building there is an extension of a part of the interior, which is made according to the Western European standards of erker.
Inside the mansion there is painting decoration (ceiling paintings, frescoes) created by the famous painters George and Nikolaos Maltzis, from Aivali and Eleftherios Kounis.

Category of thematic interest:  ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST

History:

The building was built in 1896, as evidenced by the inscribed date located above the main entrance of the building, in the district of Agios Vlasios by the doctor Konstantinos Karabetsis.
The building was designed from the beginning to function as a residence. It does not seem to have changed use since its inception. It is said that on the ground floor of the mansion the infirmary of the original owner operated.
The pediatrician Karabetsis (1868-1956) was a prominent personality of the local community originating from Asprangeloi (Dovra) of Zagori in Epirus. 
He developed a rich activity in the Greek Orthodox Community of the city, as he served as a municipal elder and member of the school board. After the integration of the region into the Greek state, he served as a Councilor to the City Council.

Elements of architecture:

The building is an imposing two-storey mansion of urban character, which is built according to the standards of neoclassicism. The exterior of the building is constructed with absolute symmetry and includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, a cornice between the first and second floor, decorative cornices on the coronation of the masonry and ceramics on the roof. Above the main entrance of the building there is a large square skylight with colored glazing, which is covered with ornate ironwork. Similar ironwork is found in the basement windows. On the first floor of the building there is an extension of a part of the interior, which is made according to the Western European standards of erker.

Description of other elements:

Inside the mansion there is painting decoration (ceiling paintings, frescoes) created by the famous painters George and Nikolaos Maltzis, from Aivali and Eleftherios Kounis.

Purpose - Use: Residence

Characterization: Preservable, Institution of the Ministry of Culture, Decision DILAP/C/3056/48055, Government Gazette 769/90

Dating (period): Late 19th century

Year of construction: 1896

Location of the monument: 41.14099807295384, 24.8861765538817

Bibliographic references:

•    Katsari-Vafiadis, J. Ed. 2023. "History and recording of the neoclassical buildings of the traditional settlement". Xanthi: Municipality of Xanthi, p. 177

 Address: Agiou Vlasiou 4

Visitable: No

 

34. Mansion of P. Stalios – Hellenic Red Cross 34. Mansion of P. Stalios – Hellenic Red Cross 38. Valixoglou Mansion 38. Valixoglou Mansion
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