Varosi

Varosi is an old neighbourhood of Edessa, in Central Macedonia, Greece.

Street in Varosi

Location

The neighbourhood is in the southeast of Edessa, south of the Waterfalls Park.[1] It was originally located next to the rock that had been the site of the Byzantine acropolis,[2] so it is built along the top of a cliff on the remains of the citadel and the city walls, overlooking the site of the ancient city.[3]

History

Varosi was the first Christian section of Edessa.[2][3][4] Its walls withstood Turkish bombardment for eight months, after which they were torn down; Christians there continued to worship under the Ottomans.[5]

During the Nazi occupation of Greece, resistance fighters used Varosi as a base, because their knowledge of the neighbourhood and its proximity to the plains made it relatively easy to escape searchers.[5] As a result, the Germans burnt a large part of the neighbourhood in 1944.[3][4]

Varosi is the only old quarter of the city to have survived.[4] It was declared a traditional settlement in 1983, and has been restored.[3] Several 19th-century houses in traditional Macedonian style are preserved, including some mansions.[3] They characteristically have stone foundations and protruding upper storeys supported by wooden beams.[5]

Notable buildings
Dome of Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church (left, Saint Paraskevi Church, Edessa)

References
  1. Korina Miller (2018). Greece (13th ed.). Footscray, Victoria: Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 9781786574466.
  2. Maurice Cerasi (2007). Multicultural Urban Fabric and Types in the South and Eastern Mediterranean. Beirut: Orient Institut. p. 146. ISBN 9783899135923.
  3. "Pella: Varosi of Edessa". Visit Central Macedonia. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  4. "Varosi Traditional District". Edessia. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  5. Julia Bonnheim; Simon William Vozick-Levinson, eds. (2006). Let's Go: Greece (8th ed.). New York: St. Martin's. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-312-34885-4.
  6. Προσκυνηματικές περιηγήσεις στην Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Πέλλας. 2007. p. 4.
  7. G. Stalidis. "Church of the Dormition of Virgin Mary (Old Cathedral)". Odysseus. Ministry of Culture and Sports. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  8. R. Palanta. "Byzantine Church St. Peter & St. Paul". City of Edessa. Retrieved 12 June 2023.

40.801385°N 22.053391°E / 40.801385; 22.053391

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.