Paralimnio

The Church of Aghios Stefanos

by StefanosS

This church is built on the slopes of the old city hill and watching the north part of the lake. It is a three aisle basilica with a strange architectural structure and beautiful brick decoration. The wallpaintings of the 13th and 14th century are quite interesting. We were lucky to find open this church, bearing my name.

Balkanic architecture

by JLBG

In the narrow passages of the old city, many houses have a typical Balkanic aspect with the second level corbelled and supported by long curved logs as can be seen on the first photo.

The second photo shows that the tiled roofs that project largely over the passage.

The third photo shows several houses with a corbelled second level in the Doltso neighborhood, where stand most of these mansions.

Most of these houses were built in the 18th and 18th when Kastoria was under the Turkish rule. Though many are not now in very good condition, the inside was really luxury with paintings on the wood panels. Some of them are being repaired.

Park along lake Orestida

by JLBG

A very pleasant park stands along lake Orestida. It has well shaded areas and moreover, you can get a fresh beer at one of the tables showing on the left of the photo!If you visit in summer, it will give a pleasant rest after wandering in the streets of the old city for a while!

Kastoria

by StefanosS

"The city and the lake"

The natural basin of the lake, which is enclosed by mountains, constitutes a unique hydrobiotope. It is a hydrotope of great importance. It maintains a rich aquatic and bird fauna, which includes rare and menaced species. More specifically: Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Great White Egret, Glossy Ibis, Goosander, Marsh Harrier, Whiskered Tern, etc. In the lake there are great quantities of various fish species, and offers the possibility for fishing, both with the traditional boats in the deep waters and with fishing rod from the lakeshores. In the lake's waters there are fishes such as, Carps, butterfly fishes, italian bleak, northern pike, etc. Fishing is allowed almost throughout the year, except the period of the fish reproduction.

"Dispilio - The prehistoric settlement"

The traces of human presence in the region of Kastoria are lost back to prehistory. 7,500 years ago a group of people chose the south bank of the lake to build with wood and clay a village in or very close to the lake. The archaeological research brought to life a lake settlement which is dated since 5,000 BC and a lot of archaeological findings that disclose the broader cultural development of the region throughout the centuries.

The lake settlement of Dispilio was accidentally discovered in 1932 by the University professor Mr. A. Keramopoulos. The excavations started in 1992 by the team of the professor of prehistoric archaeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Mr. G. Ch. Chourmouziadis. The findings of the excavation researches provide us with very significant information about the life of the inhabitants of that region. One can easily see the remarkable know-how of the people of that age, in fishing, hunting, land cultivation with advanced - for that age - tools of stone or bone and in the construction of wooden residents (huts) at the shores of the lake.

At the place of the works and according to the findings a park with a natural representation of part of the prehistoric settlement has been constructed. The Lake Settlement Museum of Dispilio goes beyond the limits of a conventional archaeological exhibition and transforms the archaeological information to a place where one can experience it. In an area of 20,000 square meters that represents the ecosystem of the lake settlement, the visitor has the possibility to walk on the wooden platforms of the village, to see the households of the 6th millennium BC and to feel closer the life of the Neolithic inhabitants. The representation is surrounded by a reception hall and recreation area (under construction).

Although the population of this settlement is estimated to reach 3,000 people, for some unknown reason they started migrating to other places in the neighbourhood. No signs of destruction have been found. Possibly there was some change of the ecosystem, followed by lack of food.

"Ancient and Roman era"

The wider geographical area of Kastoria is identified with the area of ancient Orestida, where the Orestes - "Makednoi", as Herodotus calls them - lived. Their capital was Argos Orestikon. Form there, around the rising of the 7th century BC, the dynasty of the Macedonian Kings, named Argeadae or Temenidae, started uniting the other states to finally form the great Macedonian State of Philippos II and Alexander the Great. The capital had already been moved to Aegae (the village Vergina of today) and later to Pella. During the Roman Empire period the region was dominated by the Romans, since 197 BC, who allowed the formation of a particular local independence. Argos Orestikon was then rebuilt, fortified and renamed to Diocletianoupolis.

"Byzantine monuments"

Fame and glamour followed during the Byzantine era. Ruins of the Walls of Emperor Justinian, built in 535 AD, exist till today, protecting the city from barbarian invasions. Kastoria has welcome many emperors and was developed to a city of Byzantine art and nobility.

The ruins of the Byzantine Walls make us conclude that the lake surface was at those days as high as where the modern city is now built. Acropolis was situated on the highest place where now there is the guesthouse and the reservoir of the city. It is obvious that during the Byzantine period many of the inhabitants lived outside the Walls, on the hill where many churches are saved up to now. One can see churches appearing at every crossroad and yard. Only the old ones are clearly shown, the others - built much later - are placed in the backyards, as there was no more place left. There are 72 Byzantine and Meta-Byzantine churches with rare wall paintings and holy icons, taking us back to the 9th till 16th century. Admirable in Byzantine art, the most famous churches are Panaghia Mavriotissa, Koumbelidiki, Aghios Stefanos, Aghii Anargiri, Aghii Taxiarches, etc.

The Church of Aghios Stefanos.

The monastery of Mavriotissa.

Mavriotissa, mural paintings of 1200 BC.

Mavriotissa, mural paintings of 1260 BC.

Mavriotissa, mural paintings of 1552 BC.

Taxiarchis church (by the cathedral), an older photo.

Taxiarchis church (by the cathedral) today.

The church of Saint George (11th century) at the village Omorfokklissia, 20km from Kastoria.

More info in my Omorfokklissia page.

"The Mansions"

The city flourished, both culturally and economically, during the Turkish occupation, particularly in the 17th century and afterwards. The city's famous mansions of the 18th and 19th century are a must see. They are usually two or three-storey edifices with large windows, enclosed balconies and projecting guestrooms. They have stone made first floors with small iron barred openings with iron wares but wooden upper floors, where many windows decorated with colourful glass skylights let the sunlight pass through, showing us the way of living during the Turkish Occupation, when many of the merchants made wealth abroad. The interiors are spacious and sumptuously decorated with woodcarving and wall paintings.

Hundreds of old mansions and houses exist in Kastoria, specimens of the urban architecture, which flourished that period because of the commerce, and industry of Kastorian furriers. A walk in the stone paved streets of the old city and around the lake will reveal surprising beauties for your camera !

Doltso square is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods. Here is an old mansion by the Doltso square.

A winter post-card from Doltso square.

Don't miss a visit to the Folk Art Museum, housed in one of the old mansions, near Doltso square.

Another view of the Folk Art Museum.

A traditional guestroom of an old mansion, as represented in the Folk Art Museum of Kastoria. The exhibition contains objects of every day use in the house, clothes, an old fur workshop, fishing equipment and the cellars for food and wine storing.

"Fur Industry"

Due to the elaboration of fur, Kastoria succeeded to become known all over the world.

According to Greek mythology, Kastoria acquired its name from the Macedonian hero Kastor, son of Zeus. Although, it is easier to believe that the name is coming from the castors (beavers) of the region.

Fur manufacturing may well be the oldest of professions in the area, simply because primitive man, needing to cover his body and protect himself from the cold, was forced to use as his first clothing the skins of animals. He naturally did not use these skins untreated but worked on with various techniques such as rubbing them with stones to remove oils and grease and smoking them over a fire to dry them out. Later he began to adapt them to the shape of his body. The use of furs became prevalent, not only for protection against the cold but also for reasons of personal adornment. Since that time, the people of Kastoria have dedicated themselves to working with furs.

Kastoria was manufacturing and exporting Furs all over the world. As early as the mid sixteenth century we find Kastorians - members of the famous guild of furriers - being awarded by the patriarch Jeremias II. It is a well-known historical fact that from the 17th century to the mid-19th century this guild was in the hands of the fur-manufacturers of Kastoria and that the Kastorians during this period carried on a trade of furs with Constantinople, Syria, Persia, Egypt and later with the West.

In 1982 Kastoria was processing 11.5 million pelts, or 30% of the total world output. In 1987 a crisis broke out for the fur industry in Western Europe and America but from 1990 on a market began to develop slowly in Russia and other Eastern European countries with the arrival in Kastoria of foreign merchants and tourists seeking to purchase ready-made furs.

Even today, the city boasts a large number of very profitable fur ateliers and factories.

I met a Kastorian lady, proud of her father, who made a fur for Sophia Lauren, for the needs of a well-known film (sorry, I can't recall the title!).

"Some more pics from Kastoria"

The balcony of a neoclassic building.

Swans at the lakeside.

Water-sports in the lake.

"Nostimo - The petrified findings"

Nostimo is a small village situated to the southwest of the region of Kastoria, in a distance of 15km from Argos Orestikon, at an altitude of about 900 meters. Its soil presents mainly the Petrified Forest, 20 million years old, with tropical and subtropical plants, according to the recent findings of the professor of Palaeontology-Palaeobotanology of Athens University, Mr Velitzelos, who undertook its excavation.

It is assumed that a volcanic eruption in the area covered the forest with a huge quantity of ashes, producing the conditions of fossilisation. This volcano has not yet been localised.

Can you imagine what 20,000,000 years mean? Our calendar counts only the last 2,000 years !

The main features of the Fossilised Forest are the perfect fossilisation of the tree trunks and the uniqueness of the findings. The palms possess an outstanding position, as they are the only ones found in continental Greece, a fact that attributes a special importance to the historical evolution of the plants and the climate of the past, not only in the Greek territory but also on a worldwide level.

All around the village exist also rare sea fossils, such as starfishes, mussels, cockles, snails, shark tooth, a sea-turtle etc. There have also been found some animal fossils with special scientific importance, that reverse the hitherto historical data. The fossilised tooth of a huge prehistoric herbivorous animal is very impressive.

You may see some findings in the hall of the Elementary School of Nostimo, where there is a temporary exhibition. This room is open everyday and two young amateurs from the village offer you a conducted tour.

The building of the new museum is almost ready to house the surprising findings, overcoming even the imagination of the scientists! Excavations are still in progress.

For more information, please phone to: 04670 / 84588, 84566, 84572, 84591.

A petrified trunk of a tree.

A giant petrified Sequoia, similar to those of the West Coast of USA.

Petrified part of the trunk of a palm-tree.

A tooth of a shark, perfectly petrified, belonging to a man-eater shark of about 20-25m length.

Petrified teeth.The small one in the center is of a whale !

A petrified sea-shell.

A petrified sea-urchin.

Another kind of sea-urchin.

Petrified part of the body of an un-identified animal.

This petrified tooth belongs to an ancestor of the elefant, "Anancus arvenensis" who disappeared 3.5 million years ago.