Byzantium

Ragoutsaria II

by mardaska

The unusual Kastorian Carnival begins from the evening of January the 1st and is completed during the three day period of 6-8 January.

It is a banquet of dancing, singing, music and scrumptious local foods, escorted by very good raki and wine.

The last day the events climax with the big parade of crowds called "bouloukia", in "Omonia" square, that will end in a big feast in Doltso square.

Panagia Koumbelidiki

by siaki68

The church was built the 10th century. It is a three-peaked church with dome. Its oldest hagiographies are dated from the 13th century and one of these is unique in the world: a mural of the Holy Trinity that portrays not only the son ant the holly spirit, but also God.

Not really moucharabieh

by JLBG

n several Arab countries like Morocco, some of the windows are added by a wooden “moucharabieh”, an oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework that allows to se outside without being seen. In Kastoria, some structure might at first sight considered as moucharabieh but they actually have been built for another purpose.

The first photo shows one of these structure and the second photo is a close up. This is a metal structure and it seems that it is made with plain iron rods designed for reinforced concrete (second photo). This seems to be actually a protection against theft and nothing else.

The third photo shows a more elaborate one but which obviously has the same purpose.

Kastoria, the fur capital of Europe.

by JLBG

Kastoria, with a population just over 50,000, is the seat of a “nome” (prefecture) which is one of the most mountainous of Greece. It is located in the northeast of Western Macedonia, which means that it is very close to the Albanian border. Actually, as the crow flies, it is 17 km (38 km by road) from the border and 50 km (91 km by road) from Korcë while it is 140 km (195 km by road) from Thessaloniki and 350 km (565 km by road) from Athens.

For a long time, it had a very mixed population but in 1924 when borders were established between the new states of Greece, Albania and Turkey, most of the Albanian speaking population (mostly Moslem) was expelled either to neighboring Albania or to Turkey while there houses were attributed to Greeks expelled from Asia minor, ie Turkey.

The full name of Skanderbeg (1444-1468), the national hero of Albania, was Georges Skenderbeg Kastrioti, which means “from Kastoria” and he was “king of Epirus and Albania”.

Kastoria stands on a peninsula extending in lake Orestida, said to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Greece and has been announced a "Monument of Natural Beauty " by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

There are several opinions about the etymology of Kastoria. The most widely accepted is that it derives from the beavers (in Greek kastores) living in the lake and that were hunted for their fur.