Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Makedonía

The monastery Panagia Mavriotissa was founded in 1082/83 by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to commemorate the victory over the Normans and the recapture of Kastoria. It is referred to in documents dating back to the 13th century as the monastery of Panagia Mesonisiotissa (= in the middle of the island). In the second half of the 17th century the name changed to Panagia Mavriotissa, because the inhabitants of the village of Mavrovo (nowadays ‘Mavrochori’) ensured that it remained in good condition. The monastery played an important role in the history of the area, but remained closed for many years. It was reopened in 1998. Only a few buildings from the original monastery have survived. The church has a spacious narthex on the west side, which was added later. The interior is decorated with murals dating from the beginning of the 13th century. The icons on the outside date from the period 1259 - 1264. The murals and drawings were damaged - all eyes of saints were removed - during Ottoman period. Some of these old frescoes were restored in the 13th century, while the outer wall of the narthex was decorated with new ones.

Kastoria is well-known for its churches. It is also calles “city of 100 churches”. The amount of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches proves the richness of the city through the different ages. Kastoria originally had 72 Byzantine and medieval churches, of which 54 have survived. Some of them have been restored and provide useful insight into trends in late Byzantine styles of architecture and fresco painting. Many of the churches are small structures, as they were built as private churches by wealthy fur traders or the katholika of small monasteries. They are either aisleless churches or three-aisled basilicas. Their façades often show rich masonry with decorative letters, geometrical patterns, bands of dentils and occasional sun motifs. The churches also have outstanding fresco decorations with diverse iconographic programmes, showing their donors’ and painters’.

In Ottoman times, Kastoria attracted a mass of people from all over the Balkans and beyond, resulting in a diverse, multi-ethnic community. The different ethnic communities, Bulgarian, Turkish, Greek and Jewish, were centred around separate neighbourhoods or 'quarters'. Two old lakeside Greek neighbourhoods "Doltso" and "Apozari" are among the best-preserved and last remaining traditional quarters of the city. Especially “Doltso” - with its cobbled alleys and streets - is characterised by historic traditional mansions so called archontika - and houses, built between the 17th and 19th centuries by wealthy Kastorian furriers. During this time, the processing and exporting of animal furs created wealth in Kastoria. Some of these mansions nowadays houses museums and hotels.

Kastoria is partly built on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Orestiada at an altitude of about 620 meters. The small city is tucked away in the mountains of Macedonia. The place was first mentioned in the 1st century AD of a town near a lake called Celerum, a town which was captured by the Romans during their war against Phillip V of Macedonoa in 200 BC. The name Kastoria was first referred to in the late 10th century, when it was held by Bulgaria during the Byzantine-Bulgarian wars. Most probably Kastoria derives from the Greek word kástoras , meaning beaver. Trade in the fur was traditionally an important element of Kastoria’s economy. The trade in beaver skins, which began over a thousand years ago, gave rise to the town’s chief industry. When the beavers from the lake ran out, the town imported furs. Nowadays the fur trade has almost stopped. Kastoria is well known for its many Byzantine churches and monasteries. From the 72 Byzantine and medieval churches there are still more than fifty in and around the city. Many of them have frescoes that are in very good shape. One of the most beautiful and interesting is Monastery Panagia Mavriotissa, located on the shores of Lake Orestiada. Lake Orestiada (or Lake Kastoria), the promenade and forests offer a perfect shelter for all kind of bird species. The lake is home for 200 different species, among them some rare and endangered ones. The most typical species are cormorants, pelicans, herons, swans, wild ducks and herons. Lake and surrounding wetlands also house frogs and Greek turtles.

The church of Saint Demetrius is named and devoted after the patron saint of Thessaloniki: Saint Demetrius or Agios Dimitrios. It is by far the most important church of the city for religious, historical and artistic reasons. The first chapel on the current spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later this little chapel was replaced by a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634; the form of the church much as it is today. During the Ottoman occupation of Thessaloniki the church was turned into a mosque. Frescoes were plastered, which were again revealed after the 1913 Greek reconquest of the city. Due to a great city fire in 1917 it took decades to restore the church. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949. Nowadays the cathedral is still a fine sample of Byzantine religious architecture. It is one of the largest – if not the largest - churches in Greece. Since 1988 the church is - with other Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments in Thessaloniki - on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The White Tower is the most well known monument of Thessaloniki and a famous landmark of the city. The tower, which once guarded the eastern end of the city's sea walls, was for many years attributed to Venice, to which the Byzantines ceded Thessaloniki in 1423. It is now known that the tower was constructed by the Ottomans sometime after their army captured Thessaloniki in 1430. The Tower was used by the Ottomans successively as a fortress, garrison and a prison. In 1826 here was a massacre of the rebellious prisoners. After that the tower acquired the name "Tower of Blood" or "Red Tower". When Thessaloniki became a part of Greece in 1912 the tower was whitewashed as a symbolic gesture of cleansing and it was named “White Tower”. The Tower has now a buff colour, but has retained its name. The tower is located on Thessaloniki's waterfront boulevard at the Thermaic Gulf. Nowadays it houses a museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki.

The Arch of Galerius - locally known as Kamara - is certainly one of the most important monuments in Thessaloniki. The arch was probably built by the city of Thessaloniki between 298 and 305 A.D. to commemorate Galerius’ victorious campaign against the Persians. Originally it was a triple arch and four main and four supporting pillars. The central arched opening was 9,7 meters wide and 12,5 meters high; the secondary openings on the other side were 4,8 meters wide and 6,5 meters high. Only parts of the masonry symbols of the arches and three of the eight pillars survived. The reliefs on the two pillars depict scenes from Galerius’ victories against the Persians in 297 A.D. Among others one can see scenes of war, mounted battles and victories, triumphs and ceremonies, separated by relief flowers and branches. The arch - standing right in the middle of the city along Egnatia Street - is one of the landmarks of Thessaloniki.

Kastoria is partly built on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Orestiada at an altitude of about 630 meters. The small city is tucked away in the mountains of Macedonia. The place was first mentioned in the 1st century AD as Celerum, a town which was captured by the Romans during their war against Phillip V of Macedon in 200 BC. The name Kastoria was first referred to in the late 10th century, when it was held by Bulgaria during the Byzantine-Bulgarian wars. Most probably Kastoria derives from the Greek word kástoras , meaning beaver. Trade in the fur was traditionally an important element of Kastoria’s economy. The trade in beaver skins, which began over a thousand years ago, gave rise to the towns chief industry. When the beavers from the lake ran out, the town imported furs. Nowadays Kastoria still is an (international) center for the fur trade and offers many fur and leather shops/showrooms. Kastoria is well known for its many churches and monasteries. From the 72 Byzantine and medieval churches there are still 52 in and around the city. Many of them have frescoes that are in very good shape. One of the most beautiful and interesting is Monastery Panagia Mavriotissa ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47511956 ), located on the shores of Lake Orestiada. Lake Orestiada (or Lake Kastroria), the promenade and forests offer a perfect shelter for all kind of bird species. The lake is home for 200 different species, among them some rare and endangered ones. The most typical species are cormorants, pelicans, herons, swans, wild ducks and herons. Lake and surrounding wetlands also house frogs and Greek turtles.

The monastery Panagia Mavriotissa was founded in 1082/83 by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to commemorate the victory over the Normans and the recapture of Kastoria. It is referred to in documents dating back to the 13th century as the monastery of Panagia Mesonisiotissa (= in the middle of the island). In the second half of the 17th century the name changed to Panagia Mavriotissa, because the inhabitants of the village of Mavrovo (nowadays ‘Mavrochori’) ensured that it remained in good condition. The monastery played an important role in the history of the area, but remained closed for many years. It was reopened in 1998. Only a few buildings from the original monastery have survived. The church has a spacious narthex on the west side, which was added later. The interior is decorated with murals dating from the beginning of the 13th century. The icons on the outside date from the period 1259 - 1264. The murals and drawings were damaged - all eyes of saints were removed - during Ottoman period. Some of these old frescoes were restored in the 13th century, while the outer wall of the narthex was decorated with new ones. Pangia Mavriotissa is located at a beautiful location with very old platanus trees, at the banks of Lake Orestiada, at a distance of four kilometers from Kastoria ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47608732 ) and opposite the village Mavrochori. The monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin. A chapel dedicated to John the Theologian, with wall-paintings executed in 1552 was erected beside it in the 16th century.