![VEROYA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/VEROYA.jpg)
Veria ( el, Βέροια or Βέρροια), officially transliterated Veroia, historically also spelled Berea or Berœa, is a city in
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
, in the
geographic region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of
Macedonia, northern
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, capital of the regional unit of
Imathia
Imathia ( el, Ημαθία ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia, within the geographic region of Macedonia. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia.
Administration
The regional unit Imath ...
. It is located north-northwest of the capital
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and west-southwest of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
.
Even by the standards of Greece, Veria is an old city; first mentioned in the writings of
Thucydides
Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientifi ...
in 432 BC, there is evidence that it was populated as early as 1000 BC. Veria was an important possession for
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
(father of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
) and later for the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
.
Apostle Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
famously preached in the city, and its inhabitants were among the first Christians in the Empire. Later, under the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and
Ottoman empires, Veria was a center of Greek culture and learning. Today Veria is a commercial center of
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
, the capital of the
regional unit
The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipa ...
of
Imathia
Imathia ( el, Ημαθία ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia, within the geographic region of Macedonia. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia.
Administration
The regional unit Imath ...
and the seat of a
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
Metropolitan bishop in the
Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
, as well as a Latin Catholic
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
.
The extensive archaeological site of
Vergina
Vergina ( el, Βεργίνα, ''Vergína'' ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Laus ...
(ancient Aegae, the first capital of
Macedon
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
), a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
containing the tomb of
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
, lies 12 km (7 mi) south-east of the city center of Veria.
History
Classical and Roman Veria
![The_Synagogue_in_Veria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/The_Synagogue_in_Veria.jpg)
The city is reputed to have been named by its
myth
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
ical creator Beres (also spelled Pheres) or from the daughter of the king of Berroia who was thought to be the son of
Macedon
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
. Veria enjoyed great prosperity under the kings of the
Argead Dynasty (whose most famous member was
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
) who made it their second most important city after
Pella
Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
On site of the ancient cit ...
; the city reached the height of its glory and influence in the
Hellenistic period
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...
, during the reign of the
Antigonid Dynasty
The Antigonid dynasty (; grc-gre, Ἀντιγονίδαι) was a Hellenistic dynasty of Dorian Greek provenance, descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-Eyed") that ruled mainly in Macedonia.
History
...
. During this time, Veria became the seat of the
Koinon of Macedonians
The League of the Macedonians ( el, Κοινὸν τῶν Μακεδόνων, ''Koinòn tōn Makedónōn'') was a confederationally-organized commonwealth institution (i.e., an ancient Greek regional state or '' koinon'') consisting of all Maced ...
(Κοινόν Μακεδόνων), minted its own
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
age and held sports games named ''Alexandreia'', in honor of Alexander the Great, with
athlete
An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance.
Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...
s from all over
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
competing in them.
Veria surrendered to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in 168 BC. During the
Roman empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, Veria became a place of worship for the Romans.
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
made the large and populous city one of two capitals of the
Roman province
The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...
of
Macedonia, eponymous in the civil
Diocese of Macedonia. Within the city there was a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
settlement where
the Apostle Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, after leaving
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
, and his companion
Silas
Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.
Name and et ...
preached to the Jewish and Greek communities of the city in AD 50/51 or 54/55. The
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
records:
Recent Discoveries
In December 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of an unfinished Roman-era statue of a young athletic man at Agios Patapios. The headless
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
statue is about three feet tall. According to the Greece's Culture Ministry, the sculpture has similarities to statues of the Greek gods
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
and
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...
.
Byzantine Veria
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/St._Sava%2C_Ber.jpg)
Under the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
Berrhoea continued to grow and prosper, developing a large and well-educated commercial class (Greek and Jewish) and becoming a center of medieval Greek learning; signs of this prosperity are reflected in the many Byzantine churches that were built at this time, during which it was a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
(see below).
![The Byzantine Museum in Ber](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/The_Byzantine_Museum_in_Ber.jpg)
In the 7th century, the
Slavic tribe of the
Drougoubitai The Drougoubitai, also Drogobitai or Dragobitai ( gr, Δρο ο ῖται/Δραγοβῖται), variously anglicized as Drugubites, Drogubites, Druguvites, Draguvites etc., were a South Slavic group (''Sclaveni'') who settled in the Balkans i ...
raided the lowlands below the city, while in the late 8th century Empress
Irene of Athens
Irene of Athens ( el, Εἰρήνη, ; 750/756 – 9 August 803), surname Sarantapechaina (), was Byzantine empress consort to Emperor Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent during the childhood of their son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-ruler ...
is said to have rebuilt and expanded the city and named it Irenopolis (Ειρηνούπολις) after herself, although some sources place this Berrhoea-Irenopolis further east, towards
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
.
The city was apparently held by the
Bulgarian Empire at some point in the late 9th century. The 11th-century Greek bishop
Theophylact of Ohrid
Theophylact ( gr, Θεοφύλακτος, bg, Теофилакт; around 1055after 1107) was a Byzantine archbishop of Ohrid and commentator on the Bible.
Life
Theophylact was born in the mid-11th century at Euripus (Chalcis) in Euboea, at th ...
wrote that during the brief period of Bulgarian dominance, Tsar
Boris I built there one of the seven
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
churches built by him and refers to it as "one of the beautiful Bulgarian churches". In the ''
Escorial Taktikon
The ''Escorial Taktikon'' (other spellings: ''Escurial Taktikon'', ''Escorial Tacticon'', ''Escurial Tacticon''), also known as the ''Taktikon Oikonomides'' after Nicolas Oikonomides who first edited it, is a list of Byzantine offices, dignities, ...
'' of , the city is mentioned as the seat of a ''
strategos
''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...
'', and it apparently was the capital of a
theme
Theme or themes may refer to:
* Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work
* Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos
* Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
in the 11th century.
The city briefly fell to Tsar
Samuel of Bulgaria
Samuel (also Samuil; bg, Самуил, ; mk, Самоил/Самуил, ; Old Church Slavonic: Самоилъ; died October 6, 1014) was the Tsar (''Emperor'') of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 977 to 997, he was a ...
at the end of the 10th century, but the
Byzantine emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
Basil II
Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...
quickly regained it in 1001 since its Bulgarian governor, Dobromir, surrendered the city without a fight.
The city is not mentioned again until the late 12th century, when it was briefly held by the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
(1185) during their invasion of the Byzantine Empire.
After the
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
(1204), it briefly became part of
Boniface of Montferrat
Boniface I, usually known as Boniface of Montferrat ( it, Bonifacio del Monferrato, link=no; el, Βονιφάτιος Μομφερρατικός, ''Vonifatios Momferratikos'') (c. 1150 – 4 September 1207), was the ninth Marquis of Montferrat ( ...
's
Kingdom of Thessalonica
The Kingdom of Thessalonica () was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over conquered Byzantine lands in Macedonia and Thessaly.
History
Background
After the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204, Bonifac ...
, and a Latin bishop took up residence in the city.
In , the city was taken by the Bulgarian ruler,
Kalojan
Kaloyan or Kalojan, also known as Ioannitsa or Johannitsa ( bg, Калоян, Йоаница; 1170 – October 1207), was emperor or tsar of Bulgaria from 1196 to 1207. He was the younger brother of Theodor and Asen, who led the anti-Byzant ...
. Many inhabitants were killed while others, including the Latin bishop, fled. Kalojan installed Bulgarians as commandant and bishop, and resettled some of the leading families to Bulgaria.
After Kalojan's death in 1207, the city may have reverted to Latin rule, but there is no evidence of this; at any rate, by 1220 it had been occupied by the ruler of
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
,
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas ( el, Θεόδωρος Κομνηνὸς Δούκας, ''Theodōros Komnēnos Doukas'', latinisation of names, Latinized as Theodore Comnenus Ducas, died 1253) was ruler of Despotate of Epirus, Epirus and Thessaly#Late M ...
, for in that year the ''
doux'' Constantine Pegonites is attested as governing the city in his name.
It changed hands again in 1246, being taken by the
Emperor of Nicaea
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
John III Doukas Vatatzes
John III Doukas Vatatzes, Latinized as Ducas Vatatzes ( el, Ιωάννης Δούκας Βατάτζης, ''Iōannēs Doukas Vatatzēs'', c. 1192 – 3 November 1254), was Emperor of Nicaea from 1221 to 1254. He was succeeded by his son, known ...
, and formed part of the restored Byzantine Empire after 1261.
The 14th century was tumultuous: the area was pillaged by
Karasid Turks in 1331,
and captured by the
Serbian ruler
Stephen Dushan in 1343/4, when it became part of his
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state.
Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...
. It was recovered for Byzantium by
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under An ...
in 1350, but lost again to the Serbians soon after, becoming the domain of
Radoslav Hlapen
Radoslav Hlapen ( sr, Радослав Хлапен; 1350–1383) was a Serbian magnate who served Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–1355) and Stefan Uroš V (r. 1355–71) as '' vojvoda'' (military commander). He took part in the conques ...
after 1358.
With the
disintegration of the Serbian Empire, it passed once more to Byzantium by ca. 1375, but was henceforth menaced by the rising power of the
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
.
According to a tradition preserved by
Yazıcıoğlu Ali
Yazıcıoğlu (, literally "son of the scribe, clerk") is a Turkish surname and may refer to:
* Ahmed Bican Yazıcıoğlu (died ca. 1466), Ottoman author
* Cafer Tufan Yazıcıoğlu (born 1951), Turkish politician
* Cengiz Yazıcıoğlu (born ...
, the two younger sons of the
Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (di ...
sultan
Kaykaus II
Kaykaus ibn Kaykhusraw or Kayka'us II ( fa, عز الدين كيكاوس بن كيخسرو, ''ʿIzz ad-Dīn Kaykāwus ibn Kaykhusraw'') was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rûm from 1246 until 1262. Life
Kaykaus was the eldest of three sons of Kayk ...
were settled by Emperor
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
in Veria, and made its governors. One of their descendants converted to Christianity, and one of his progeny, a certain Lyzikos, in turn surrendered the city to the Ottoman Sultan (perhaps
Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
). After the Ottoman conquest he and his relatives were settled at
Zichna. This story explains the presence of
Gagauz people
The Gagauz ( gag, Gagauzlar) are a Turkic people living mostly in southern Moldova ( Gagauzia, Taraclia District, Basarabeasca District) and southwestern Ukraine (Budjak). Gagauz are mostly Eastern Orthodox Christians. The term Gagauz is also o ...
in Veria and its environs.
The Ottoman chroniclers report that the town was first captured in 1385, while the Byzantine short chronicles record the date as 8 May 1387.
The city changed hands several times over the next decades, until the final Turkish conquest around 1430.
Ottoman Veria
The Ottomans called Veria ''Karaferye'' ("black Veria"), because of its characteristic morning mist during the humid winter seasons.
Under Ottoman rule, Veria was the seat of a
kaza
A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough')
* bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза
* el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also ()
* lad, kaza
, ...
within the
Sanjak of Salonica
The Sanjak of Salonica or Selanik (Ottoman Turkish: ; el, λιβάς/σαντζάκι Θεσσαλονίκης) was a second-level Ottoman province (''sanjak'' or '' liva'') encompassing the environs of the city of Thessalonica (Salonica, Turkis ...
; by 1885, the kaza, along with
Naoussa, included 46 villages and
chiftliks.
The 17th-century traveller
Evliya Çelebi
Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...
reports that the city was peaceful, without walls or garrison; it had 4000 houses, 16 Muslim quarters, 15 Christian quarters, and 2 Jewish congregations. The city was a prosperous center of rice production.
According to the 1881/82-1893 Ottoman General Census, the
kaza
A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough')
* bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза
* el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also ()
* lad, kaza
, ...
of Veria (Karaferiye) had a total population of 25.034, consisting of 15.103
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
, 7.325 Muslims, 2.174
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
, 393
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and 39 foreign citizens. Veria was an important regional center of Greek commerce and learning, and counted many important Greek scholars as its natives (e.g.
Ioannis Kottounios
Ioannis Kottounios, ( el, Ἰωάννης Κωττούνιος, lat, Joannes Cottunius de Verria; c. 1577 – 1658) was an eminent ethnic Greek scholar who studied philosophy, theology and medicine, taught Greek from 1617 and philosophy from 16 ...
)
Modern Veria
The presence of a large, prosperous and educated
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
made Veria one of the centers of Greek nationalism in the region of Macedonia, and the city's inhabitants had an active part in the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
; important military leaders during the uprising included Athanasios Syropoulos, Georgios Syropoulos, Dimitrios Kolemis and Georgios Kolemis, among others; however, as was the case with the rest of Northern Greece, eventually the uprising was defeated, and Veria only became part of modern Greece in 1912 during the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
, when it was taken by the
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...
on October 16, 1912 (October 16 is an official holiday in Veria, commemorating the city's incorporation to Greece), and was officially annexed to Greece following the signing of the
Treaty of Athens
The Treaty of Athens between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece, signed on 14 November 1913, formally ended hostilities between them after the two Balkan Wars and ceded Macedonia—including the major city of Thessaloniki— most ...
in November 1913.
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Veria was under Nazi occupation between 1941 and 1944. An important resistance movement developed in the city, with the left-wing
EAM gaining the sympathy of the inhabitants; the people of Veria took part in resistance activities, such as sabotaging the railway, assassinating
SS members, and burning Nazi war material. The town asked Prokopis Kambitoglou to become the Mayor of Veria during the occupation. His role in attempting to mitigate the oppression of the Germans was rewarded after the war by the award of the Order of the Phoenix in recognition of his efforts.
During the Occupation almost all of the Jewish community of the city was deported and exterminated by the Nazis.
Postwar
Postwar Veria saw a significant rise in population, and a greatly improved standard of living. The 1980s and 1990s in particular were a period of prosperity, with the agricultural businesses and cooperatives in the fertile plains around Veria successfully exporting their products in Europe, the US and Asia. The discovery of the tomb of
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
in the nearby archaeological site of
Vergina
Vergina ( el, Βεργίνα, ''Vergína'' ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Laus ...
(ancient Aegae, the summer capital of the
Argead Dynasty of
Macedon
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
, now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
), also made Veria a tourist destination.
Veria has a significant immigrant population, mainly from countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Ecclesiastical history
Berrhoea was a
suffragan diocese
A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...
of the
Archbishopric of Thessalonica
The Metropolis of Thessaloniki ( el, Ιερά Μητρόπολις Θεσσαλονίκης) is a Greek Orthodox metropolitan see based in the city of Thessaloniki in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is part of the so-called "New Lands", belonging to ...
, in the sway of the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
.
The names of five of its
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s appear in extant contemporary documents:
*Gerontius took part in the
Council of Sardica The Council of Serdica, or Synod of Serdica (also Sardica located in modern day Sofia, Bulgaria), was a synod convened in 343 at Serdica in the civil diocese of Dacia, by Emperors Constans I, augustus in the West, and Constantius II, augustus in t ...
(c. 344),
*Lucas in the
Robber Council of Ephesus
The Second Council of Ephesus was a Christological church synod in 449 AD convened by Emperor Theodosius II under the presidency of Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria. It was intended to be an ecumenical council, and it is accepted as such by the mi ...
(449),
*Sebastian in the
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...
(451),
*Timothy in
the synod convoked by
Patriarch Menas of Constantinople
Menas (Minas) ( grc, Μηνάς) (died 25 August 552) considered a saint in the Calcedonian affirming church and by extension both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church of our times, was born in Alexandria, and enters the recor ...
in 536, and
*Joseph in the
Council of Constantinople (869)
The Fourth Council of Constantinople was the eighth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in Constantinople from October 5, 869, to February 28, 870. It was poorly attended, the first session by only 12 bishops and the number of bishops ...
that condemned
Photius
Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...
.
The Byzantine emperor
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
promoted the local see to an
archbishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
after 1261, and it advanced further to the rank of a
metropolitan see
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a t ...
by 1300.
Latin titular see
The diocese of Berrhoea was nominally restored in 1933 by the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
as the
titular bishopric
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
of ''Berrhœa'' (Latin) / ''Berrea'' (Curiate Italian).
It has been vacant for decades, having the following incumbents:
* Cardinal
Alfredo Ottaviani
Alfredo Ottaviani (29 October 1890 – 3 August 1979) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII named him cardinal in 1953. He served as secretary of the Holy Office in the Roman Curia from 1959 to 1966 when that dicaste ...
(Italian) (1962.04.05 – 1962.04.20)
* Pierre-Auguste-Marie-Joseph Douillard (1963.05.22 – 1963.08.20) as emeritate
* Federico Kaiser Depel,
M.S.C.
The Marianites of Holy Cross (MSC) is a Catholic Church, Catholic Religious congregation, congregation of nuns, founded in Le Mans, France, in 1841, by Fr Basil Moreau. It was founded as a third distinct society within the Congregation of Holy Cros ...
(1963.10.29 – death 1993.09.26)
Local government — municipality
The municipality Veria was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:
*
Apostolos Pavlos
Apostolos Pavlos ( el, Απόστολος Παύλος, meaning Paul the Apostle) is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on ...
*
Dovras
Dovras ( el, Δοβράς) is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Its name comes from the Slavic ''Dobra'' meaning "Good". Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia, of which it is a municipal unit. In 2011 ...
*
Makedonida
Makedonida ( el, Μακεδονίδα) is a former municipality in Imathia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Veroia
Veria ( el, Βέροια or Βέρροια), officially transliterated Veroia, h ...
*
Vergina
Vergina ( el, Βεργίνα, ''Vergína'' ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Laus ...
*Veria
The municipality has an area of 796.494 km
2, the municipal unit 359.146 km
2.
Geography
Geology
Veria is located at 40º31' North, 22º12' East, at the eastern foot of the
Vermio Mountains
The Vermio Mountains ( el, Βέρμιο), known in antiquity as the Bermion ( el, Βέρμιον), is a mountain range in northern Greece. It lies between the Imathia Regional Unit of the Central Macedonia Region and the Kozani Regional Unit of ...
. It lies on a plateau at the western edge of the
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
plain, north of the
Haliacmon
The Haliacmon ( el, Αλιάκμονας, ''Aliákmonas''; formerly: , ''Aliákmon'' or ''Haliákmōn'') is the longest river flowing entirely in Greece, with a total length of . In Greece there are three rivers longer than Haliakmon, Maritsa ( e ...
River. The town straddles the Tripotamos (river), a Haliacmon tributary that provides hydroelectric power to the national electric power transmission network and irrigation water to agricultural customers of the Veria plain.
Climate
Veria has a humid subtropical climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa'') that borders on a cold semi-arid climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''BSk''). Since the city lies in a transitional climatic zone, its climate displays characteristics of continental, semi-arid and subtropical/Mediterranean climates. Summers (from April to October) are hot (often exceptionally hot) and dry (or mildly humid, with rainfalls that occur during thunderstorms), and winters (from mid-October to March) are wet and cool, but temperatures remain above or well above freezing (meteorological phenomenon of
Alkyonides The Alcyonides (, ''Alkyonides'') were, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of the giant Alcyoneus.
Names
These sisters were identified individually as, Alkippe, Anthe, Asteria, Drimo, Methone, Pallene and Phthonia ( Phosthonia or Ch ...
). Snow typically falls once or twice a season. Major temperature swings between day and night are seldom.
Economy
![Beroia main square](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Beroia_main_square.jpg)
The modern town has cotton and woolen mills and trades in wheat, fruit and vegetables.
Lignite mines operate in the area.
The largest wind farm in Greece is to be constructed in the
Vermio Mountains
The Vermio Mountains ( el, Βέρμιο), known in antiquity as the Bermion ( el, Βέρμιον), is a mountain range in northern Greece. It lies between the Imathia Regional Unit of the Central Macedonia Region and the Kozani Regional Unit of ...
by
Acciona, S.A. It will consist of 174
wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
s, which will be connected to the national electric power transmission network, generating 614 MW.
Transport
Road
Veria is connected to the motorway system of Greece and Europe through
Egnatia Odos, the Greek part of the
European route E90
European route E 90 is an A-Class West–East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish–Iraqi border in the east. It is connected to the M5 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network
Itinerary ...
. It is also connected to more than 500 local and national destinations via the national coach network (
KTEL).
Rail
Veria
Veria ( el, Βέροια or Βέρροια), officially transliterated Veroia, historically also spelled Berea or Berœa, is a city in Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the regional unit of I ...
is linked to
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
by the Thessaloniki-
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
, with connections to
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupolis ( el, Αλεξανδρούπολη, ), Alexandroupoli, or Alexandrople is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros regional unit. It is the largest city in Western Thrace and the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. It h ...
.
Air
Thessaloniki International Airport "Macedonia" is the closest international airport, located east-northeast of Veria.
Culture
![Entrance to the Royal Tombs, Vergina - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Entrance_to_the_Royal_Tombs%2C_Vergina_-_panoramio.jpg)
The city has a number of Byzantine monuments, as well as post-Byzantine churches built on Byzantine foundations.
The most significant Byzantine monument is the
Anastasis Church
Anastasis may refer to:
* Anastasis (Greek: ανάσταση), resurrection, most commonly the resurrection of Jesus
** Anastasis, in Christian art, a pictorial representation of the Harrowing of Hell
** Prote Anastasis, Holy Saturday, between Goo ...
(Church of the Resurrection) with its "spectacular frescoes" from 1315, bearing comparison with some of the finest works of
Palaiologan art
The House of Palaiologos ( Palaiologoi; grc-gre, Παλαιολόγος, pl. , female version Palaiologina; grc-gre, Παλαιολογίνα), also found in English-language literature as Palaeologus or Palaeologue, was a Byzantine Greek f ...
in the main Byzantine centres of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
and
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
.
Of the city's thirteen mosques, eight survive, including the
Old Metropolis, which had been converted into the Hünkar Mosque, as well as the
Orta Mosque,
Mendrese Mosque, and the
Mahmud Çelebi Mosque The Mahmud Çelebi Mosque ( el, Τζαμί του Μαχμούτ Τσελεμπή) or Boyali Mosque (Μπογιαλί Τζαμί) is an Ottoman mosque in the northern Greek city of Veria, Greece.
History
The mosque was built on the southern city ...
. Four other mosques, the Subashi, Bayir, Yola Geldi, and Barbuta mosques, are now used as private residences. The
Twin Hamam
The Twin Hamam of Tuzcu Sinan Bey ( el, Δίδυμα Λουτρά του Σινάν Μπέη Αλατά) are an Ottoman bathhouse ( hamam) in the northern Greek city of Veria.
The baths were built by Tuzcu Sinan Bey ( means "saltman", whence Gree ...
also survives, as well as a number of Ottoman public buildings of the late 19th century. The city's famous ''
bezesten'', however, burned down in the great fire of 1864.
Museums in Veria include the
Archaeological Museum of Veroia, the
Byzantine Museum of Veroia
The Byzantine Museum of Veroia is a museum in Greece that opened in 2002. The museum focuses on artefacts from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires
The Building
The museum is housed in the old Markos mill; a rectangular, stone, four-story industri ...
, the
Folklore Museum of Veroia, a museum of modern Greek history and the
Aromanian cultural museum. There is also a 19th-century Jewish synagogue in the protected former Jewish neighbourhood in Barbuta.
The archaeological site of Aegae/Aigai (Αἰγαί; modern name
Vergina
Vergina ( el, Βεργίνα, ''Vergína'' ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Laus ...
), a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, lies south-east of the city centre of Veria.
Every summer (August 15 to September 15) the "Imathiotika" festivities take place with a cultural program deriving mainly from Veria's tradition. The site of Elia has an extensive view of the Imathia plain. Neighboring
Seli
Kato Vermio-Seli ( el, Κάτω Βέρμιο, before 1926: Κάτω Σέλι - ''Kato Seli'', rup, Selia de Jos) is, primarily, an Aromanian (Vlach) Greek village and a community of the Veria municipality. Since the 2001 local government reform ...
is a well-known ski resort and a few kilometers outside the city is the Aliakmonas river dam.
Education
Veria has one of the largest public libraries in Greece. Originally a small single-room library with limited funds and material, it expanded into a four-story building offering multimedia, and special and rare editions. Veria's public library collaborates with many international organizations and hosts several cultural events. In 2010, it won the Access to Learning Award (ATLA) prize nominated by the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
and the amount of $1.000.000. Since then, the library became a role model for other libraries in Greece.
The Department of
Spatial Planning
Spatial planning mediates between the respective claims on space of the state, market, and community. In so doing, three different mechanisms of involving stakeholders, integrating sectoral policies and promoting development projects mark the th ...
and Development
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
of
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
was located in Veria since 2004, but in 2013 it was relocated to Thessaloniki.
[Athena plan]
News247.gr
Twin towns — sister cities
Veria is
twinned with:
*
Strovolos
Strovolos ( el, Στρόβολος; tr, Strovolos; hy, Ստրովոլոս) is a municipality of Nicosia District. With a population of nearly 70,000, it is the second most populated municipality in Cyprus, after Limassol, and the most populated ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
(1993)
*
Kazanlak
Kazanlak ( bg, Казанлък , Thracian and Greek Σευθόπολις (''Seuthopolis''), tr, Kazanlık) is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
*
Rognac
Rognac (; oc, Ronhac) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. Located to the east of the Étang de Berre, north of Marseille Provence Airport, it is part of the Aix-Marsei ...
, France
*
Užice
Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 59,747. The Cit ...
,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
Sports
Veria is home to many sports clubs. Most prominent is the handball team of Filippos Veria, competing in the first national division and which has won many championships (both national and international) over the last 40 years. The most famous is
Veria FC
Veria ( el, Βέροια or Βέρροια), officially transliterated Veroia, historically also spelled Berea or Berœa, is a city in Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the regional unit of I ...
which competes in
Superleague Greece
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
(Greece's 1st division). Veria also has two basketball teams, AOK Veria and Filippos Veria, which compete in the local and third national division respectively.
Notable locals
![COTTUNIUS IOANNES - 1658](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/COTTUNIUS_IOANNES_-_1658.JPG)
*
Sopater
Sopater Orr, James, M. A., D. D. General EditorSopater ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia''. 1915. Retrieved December 9, 2005. ( el, Σώπατρος, ''Sṓpatros'') was the son of Pyrhus,[Demetrius Vikelas
Demetrios Vikelas (also Demetrius Bikelas; el, Δημήτριος Βικέλας; 15 February 1835 – 20 July 1908) was a Greek businessman and writer; he was the first President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), from 1894 to 189 ...]
, Greek writer; the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
*
Konstantinos Raktivan
Konstantinos Raktivan ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Ρακτιβάν; 1865 – 21 May 1935) was a Greek jurist and politician, who served as cabinet minister, as the ''de facto'' first Governor-General of Macedonia, president of the Athens Bar A ...
, liberal politician, lawyer, Greek Council of State's first president, member of the Academy of Athens, speaker of the Hellenic Parliament
*
Ioannes Kottounios, Renaissance humanist and philosopher
*
Kallinikos Manios, scholar
*
Konstantinos Kallokratos
Konstantinos Kallokratos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Καλλοκράτος) was a teacher and a poet.
He was born in Veroia in 1589. He was a student at the Greek College of Ayios Athanasios in Rome between 1600 and 1610. There, he studied phi ...
, teacher and poet
*
Patriarch Metrophanes of Alexandria
Metrophanes Kritopoulos, sometimes Critopoulos, Critopoulus, Kritopulus ( el, Μητροφάνης Κριτόπουλος, – 30 May 1639) was a Greek monk and theologian who served as Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1636 and 1639.
B ...
, Patriarch of Alexandria
*
Patriarch Nephon I of Constantinople
Nephon I or Niphon of Cyzicus ( el, Νήφων; ? – after 1314) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1310 to 1314. From Veria, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southea ...
, Ecumenical Patriarch (Constantinople)
*
Sonia Theodoridou, Greek soprano
*
Efthymios Varlamis, Greek architect, sculptor and painter
*
Sedat Alp Prof. Ord. Sedat Alp (January 1, 1913 in Veroia – October 9, 2006 in Ankara) was the first Turkish archaeologist, historian and academic with a specialization in Hittitology, and was among the foremost names in the field. He was the president ...
, Turkish archaeologist
*
Michalis Chrysochoidis
Michalis Chrisochoidis (, born 31 October 1955 in Nisi, Imathia) is a Greek politician and former member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). He served as Minister for Citizen Protection (1999–2003, 2009 ...
, Greek politician
*
Yorgos Karamihos, Greek actor
*
Mimis Papaioannou
Dimitrios "Mimis" Papaioannou ( el, Δημήτριος "Μίμης" Παπαϊωάννου; born 23 August 1942) is a Greek former professional football player, who played as a forward, mostly for AEK Athens and a former manager. His nickname w ...
, Greek football player
*
Kostas Tsartsaris
Konstantinos "Kostas" Tsartsaris ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Τσαρτσαρής; born October 17, 1979 in Veria, Greece), is a retired Greek professional basketball player and coach, who spent most of his playing career with t ...
, Greek professional basketball player
*
Yiannis Arabatzis, footballer
*
Pantelis Kafes
Pantelis Kafes ( el, Παντελής Καφές; born 24 June 1978) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was known for being one of very few outfield players to have worn the number 1 jersey and has won accla ...
, footballer
*
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis
Panagiotis Tsalouchidis ( el, Παναγιώτης Τσαλουχίδης; born 30 March 1963) is a Greek former footballer who played professionally from 1983 to 1999 for Veria, Olympiacos and PAOK, making 500 league appearances in Greek footba ...
, former football player
*
Pavlos Kontogiannidis, actor, singer
*
Dimitris Mavropoulos, actor and theatrical director
*
Toli Hagigogu, pro-Romanian activist of the
Macedonian struggle
The Macedonian Struggle ( bg, Македонска борба; el, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας; mk, Борба за Македонија; sr, Борба за Македонију; tr, Makedonya Mücadelesi) was a series of social, po ...
, publicist against the Hellenization of
Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Alba ...
(Vlachs) in Macedonia
*
George Murnu
George Murnu (; rup, Ioryi Murnu; 1 January 1868, Veria, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, now in Greece – 17 November 1957, Bucharest) was a Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian origin. ...
, Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet
*
Elie Carafoli
Elie Carafoli (September 15, 1901, Veria, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire–October 24, 1983, Bucharest, Romania) was an accomplished Romanian engineer and aircraft designer. He is considered a pioneering contributor to the field of Aerodynam ...
, Romanian engineer and aircraft designer
*
Ion Caranica
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electric charge, electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be po ...
, Romanian, activist of
Iron Guard death squads
During the 1930s, three notable death squads emerged from Romania's Iron Guard: the ''Nicadori'', the ''Decemviri'' and the ''Răzbunători''. Motivated by a combination of fascist political ideology and religious-nationalist mysticism, they ca ...
*
Sterie Ciumetti, Romanian, activist of
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
*
Kyriakos Amiridis
Kyriakos Amiridis ( el, Κυριάκος Αμοιρίδης, 30 September 1957 – 26 December 2016) was a Greek career diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Greece to Libya and Brazil. He was reported missing on 28 December 2016 while servin ...
, Greek diplomat
*
Konstadinos Stefanopoulos, Olympic race walker
*
Sofia Ifantidou, Olympic record holder in heptathlon javelin throw
*
Maria Ntanou
Maria Ntanou ( el, Μαρία Ντάνου; born 3 March 1990) is a Greek cross-country skier, Olympian who has competed since 2007. She was an Athlete Role Model of 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. Ntanou has represented her country, Greece, in thr ...
, Olympic cross country skier
Gallery
File:Veria BW 2017-10-06 09-39-17.jpg, ''Altar of Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
''
File:Veria BW 2017-10-06 09-36-48.jpg, Statue of St Paul
File:Ναός Ανάστασης του Σωτήρος Χριστού Βέροιας 01.jpg, The Byzantine Church of the Resurrection
File:Christ Church in Veria Dormition Fresco by Georgios Kalliergis, 1315.jpg, Dormition fresco (1315) by Georgios Kalliergis in the Church of the Resurrection
File:Jewish neighbourhood Veria.jpg, View of Barabuta, Jewish quarter
File:Sts Quriaqos and Julietta Church in Veria.jpg, Sts Kiriqos and Ioulitta Byzantine church (14th)
File:Christ Church in Veria Resurrection Fresco on the Southern Wall by Georgios Kalliergis, 1315.gif, Christ fresco by Georgios Kalliergis (1315) in the Church of the Resurrection
File:Old Metropoly in Veria Fresco 7.jpg, Fresco in the Old Metropolis (14th)
File:St. Antonios Neo, Ber.jpg, Saint Antonios church (19th)
File:Veria asteras.jpg, Veria Stadium
Veria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Veria, Greece. It is used for football matches, and is the home stadium of NFC Veria. It was built in 1925 by members of music and gymnastics association Megas Alexandros. The stadium holds about 7,00 ...
File:Veria-June07.jpg, Panoramic view from the Vikela hill
File:Macedonia Greek Costume Verroia.JPG, Traditional dress
See also
*
List of settlements in Imathia
This is a list of settlements in Imathia, Greece.
* Agia Marina
* Agia Varvara
* Agios Georgios
* Agkathia
* Alexandreia
* Ammos
* Angelochori
* Arachos
* Arkochori
* Asomata
* Chariessa
* Daskio
* Diavatos
* Episkopi, Alexandreia
* ...
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Greece
*
Bereans
In ancient times, the Bereans were the inhabitants of the city of Berea, also referred to as Beroea in the Bible. Today, the city is known as Veria in what is today northern Greece. The name has been taken up by certain groups within Protestantism ...
, various Protestant sects named after the city
*
Murder of Alex Meschisvili
Alex Meschisvili was a 10-year-old boy from Veria, Greece whose parents came from Georgia. He disappeared on 3 February 2006. On 3 June 2006, the Greek press reported that five children aged 13 years of age admitted to having hit and killed the 1 ...
References
Sources and external links
*
Veroia Municipality (official website); Bibliography - ecclesiastical history
* Mansi, ''Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collection'', passim
* Pius Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 429
* Michel Lequien, ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus'', Paris 1740, vol. II, coll. 69-74
* Raymond Janin, lemma '1. Berrhée' in Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques'', vol. VIII, 1935, coll. 885-887
; Bibliography - synagogue and jewish history
* Μεσσίνας, Ηλίας. (2022). H Συναγωγή. Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Ινφογνώμων.
* Messinas, Elias. (2022). The Synagogue of Veroia , Η Συναγωγή της Βέροιας. Seattle: KDP.
* Messinas, Elias. (2022). The Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace: With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece. Seattle: KDP.
{{Authority control
Populated places in Imathia
Municipalities of Central Macedonia
Greek prefectural capitals
Jewish Greek history
New Testament cities
Pauline churches