The historic neighborhood of Tabakaria is located just 10 minutes drive from the city center and very close to Halepa. Until the 1970s, many leather factories (tanneries) were operating in this neighborhood. Tanneries initially originated during Egyptian Domination (1830-1840). The first one was built on the coastal zone of Vivilaki Street and later extended to Agia Kyriaki area.
The area was suitable and was chosen because it was quite far from the city but at the same time close to it, with underground salt water next to shallow sea, ideal for the first phase of leather processing.
The Tampakaria flourished during the interwar period. Today, only a few of them continue to work, while others are used for other purposes. Only their architecture has remained unchanged over the years. Tanneries have been harmonized with the natural landscape. They are stone buildings with stone and wooden roofs, arranged in a row interrupted by narrow sidewalks with stairways leading to the sea.
A monument of the industrial age.
