Naousa ( el, Νάουσα, historically Νάουσσα - ''Naoussa''; rup, Naustã), officially The Heroic City of Naousa is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
in the
Imathia regional unit of
Macedonia
Macedonia most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
,
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 wit ...
with a population of 21,139 (2016).
An industrial center since the 19th century, for most of the 20th century the history of Naousa was closely intertwined with that of the Lanaras family, local industrialists who, at the height of their influence, employed almost half of Naousa's population in their
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not t ...
factories.
The Lanaras family built hospitals, social centers etc. while streets of Naousa were named after family members. In the 1990s and 2000s however, most of the local factories closed, leaving Naousa with a serious (and still unresolved) unemployment problem.
Municipality
The municipality Naousa was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:
*
Anthemia
*
Eirinoupoli
*Naousa
The municipality has an area of 425.491 km
2, the municipal unit 300.891 km
2.
Province
The province of Naousa ( el, Επαρχία Νάουσας) was one of the
provinces of Imathia. It had the same territory as the present municipality.
[ ] It was abolished in 2006.
History
The city is situated in ancient
Emathia west of the ancient
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 b ...
ian town of
Mieza and the site of ancient School of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical Greece, Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatet ...
. The area, according to
Herodotus
Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known for ...
, was where the fertile Gardens of King
Midas were situated. Later, in the current position of the city, the
Romans established the colony of Nova Augusta. The name changed through the centuries to Niagusta, Niaousta and Niaousa, until it became today's Naousa. It was known as "Ağustos" during Ottoman rule.
In 1705, an
armatolos named
Zisis Karademos led a Greek uprising against the local
Ottoman garrison.
In 1822, during the
Greek War of Independence, the fighting in Central Macedonia against the Turks came to a dramatic finale in Naousa. Abdul Abud, the Pasha 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 ...
, arrived on 14 March at the head of a 16,000 strong force and 12 cannons. The Greeks defended Naousa with a force of 4,000 under
Anastasios Karatasos,
Dimitrios Karatasos,
Aggelis Gatsos, Karamitsos and Philippos, the son of
Zafeirakis Theodosiou, under the overall command of Zafeirakis Theodosiou and Anastasios Karatasos. The Turks attempted to take the town of Naousa on 16 March, and again on 18 and 19 March, without success. On 24 March the Turks began a bombardment of the city walls that lasted for several days. After requests for the town's surrender were dismissed by the Greeks, the Turks charged the Gate of St George on Good Friday, 31 March. The Turkish attack failed but on 6 April, after receiving fresh reinforcements of some 3,000 men, the Turkish army finally overcame the Greek resistance and entered the city. In an infamous incident, as the rebels were abandoning the town, some of the women left behind committed suicide by falling down a cliff over the small river Arapitsa. Zafeirakis Theodosiou was pursued by a Turkish unit and was killed. The other Greek leaders retreated southwards. Abdul Abud laid the town and surrounding area to waste. The fall and massacre of Naousa marked the end of the Greek Revolution in Central Macedonia. A notable survivor of the incident was Greek American refugee
Gregory Anthony Perdicaris
Gregory Anthony Perdicaris ( el, Γρηγόρης Αντώνης Περδικάρης; 1810 – April 18, 1883) was a Greek American statesman, lawyer, professor, author, and entrepreneur. Perdicaris raised awareness about Greece in the United S ...
.
Naousa has small minorities of
Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and c ...
and
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
.
Geography
Naousa is located in Northwestern
Imathia, 22 kilometers north of
Veroia and 90 kilometers west 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 ...
, the biggest city in 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 wit ...
. The city lies on the eastern foothills of
Vermio Mountains, one of the biggest mountain ranges in Greece, and west to the plain of Kambania (or
Giannitsa). Naousa is today the largest forest-owning municipality in the country being also surrounded by orchards, producing peaches, apples, cherries and other fruits, while the jam brand name Naousa is well-known 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 wit ...
. Naousa is also known for its parks (Municipal Park, Park of Saint Nicholas etc.) and for its ski resorts (3-5 Pigadia and
Seli). Due to its location, altitude can raise by as much as 150m between the lowest and highest parts of the city, and it reaches nearly 550m in the Park of Saint Nicholas. Naousa is also home of one of the three female named Greek rivers, Arapitsa, together with Neda in Peloponnesus and Erkyna in Livadia.
Climate
Naousa has a
humid subtropical climate (Cfa) in the Köppen climate classification but due to its inland location and elevation, is more continental (and less Mediterranean) than that found in most Greek cities. It is heavily influenced by the mountains which rise rapidly up to the west, and by the plain of Kambania to the east. On one hand, the mountains shelter the area from cold winds blowing from the north and west down the Balkan Peninsula and also from hot southwest winds, creating a non-extreme
microclimate. On the other they create föhn winds, which draw in cool, damp air from the Aegean coast. The annual precipitation of Naousa is typically lower than in western
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 wit ...
, but it is one of the highest in the Macedonia region, measuring around 710 mm per year. Winters can be cold and Vermio mountains are home to two of the most famous skiing resorts in Greece,
Seli and 3-5 Pigadia. In the city, snowfall is not uncommon (snow falls at an average of 10–15 days per year) and measurable amounts of snow can remain on the ground for several days. Typically, downtown Naousa experiences milder winter temperatures than the suburbs where temperatures can drop many degrees below zero. Recent years have been a lot warmer and the
2007 European heat wave saw Naousa reaching 40 °C for the first time in recent memory, with an absolute maximum of 41.3 °C in July 25. On January 8, 2017, temperature dropped to -10.5 °C, which is a 10-year low.
Transport
Naoussa is served by
Naousa railway station on the
Thessaloniki-Florina line. Inaugurated in 1894, it connects the city with
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 the rest of Northern Greece. Since 2009, it is served by the
suburban services 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 ...
and
Edessa.
Sports
Skiing club EOS Naousas is the oldest of the city's sporting clubs, having been founded in 1932. Naoussa also hosts the clubs
Naoussa F.C., which played at First National Division of Greece for one year (season 1993–94) and EGS Zafeirakis Naousas ( el, Ε.Γ.Σ.Ζαφειράκης Νάουσας) that competes at volleyball, handball and basketball. The name refers to the Greek prokritos
Zafeirakis Theodosiou ( el, Ζαφειράκης Θεοδοσίου) (1772–1822).
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Naousa, Imathia is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Missolonghi,
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 wit ...
*
Naousa, Paros,
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 wit ...
*
Faches-Thumesnil
Faches-Thumesnil () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is a suburb south of Lille and forms part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille.
Population
Heraldry
Faches Thumesnil is twinned with the market town of St.Ne ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
(1992)
*
Asenovgrad,
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 Mac ...
(1994)
*
Zgorzelec,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
(1998)
Notable people
*
Anastasios Michail
Anastasios Michail ( el, Αναστάσιος Μιχαήλ, 17th century – 1722) was a member of Berlin's Academy of Sciences.
Michail was born in Naousa. He had his general studies in Ioannina with Georgios Sougdouris as his teacher of rhetor ...
(17th century-1722), theologian
*
Zisis Karademos(17th century-1705), armatolos, led a rebellion
*
Gregory Anthony Perdicaris
Gregory Anthony Perdicaris ( el, Γρηγόρης Αντώνης Περδικάρης; 1810 – April 18, 1883) was a Greek American statesman, lawyer, professor, author, and entrepreneur. Perdicaris raised awareness about Greece in the United S ...
(1810-1883), first U.S. Consul to Greece, Author
*
Zafeirakis Theodosiou (18th century-1822), political leader
*Lappas bros (19th century), merchants and benefactors of the city
*
Grigorios Longos, textile industrialist
*
Eleni Tsaligopoulou
Eleni Tsaligopoulou ( el, Ελένη Τσαλιγοπούλου; born 11 April 1963) is a Greek singer of popular music who, in the course of a 30-year career, has maintained a position as one of her country's best-selling recording artists.
Ear ...
(1963-), Greek singer
*
Konstantinos Prousalis (1980-), Greek volleyball player
*
Sophia Ralli
Sophia Ralli ( el, Σοφία Ράλλη; born 4 March 1988 in Naousa, Imathia, Naousa) is an alpine skier from Greece. She competed for Greece at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Her best result was 47th place in the Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olym ...
(1988-), Alpine skier, 3-time Olympian,
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 wit ...
's flag bearer at the
2018 Winter Olympic Games
*
Apostolos Giannou (1990-), Greek-Australian footballer
Gallery
File:Negush Traditional House 08.jpg, Mattheou mansion
File:Naousa, Imathia - Stoumbani waterfall.jpg, Stumbani waterfall in the town
File:Sefertzeio School, Negush.jpg, Municipal school
File:To agalma tis naousas.JPG, Monument to the "Heroines of 1822"
File:Naousa high.jpg, Panoramic view
File:Νάουσσα - Άλσος Αγίου Νικολάου - panoramio.jpg, Agios Nikolaos park
File:Macedonia Greek Costume Naoussa.JPG, Traditional dress
File:Naousa view from St Theologos hill 4.jpg, View from Theologos hill
See also
*
List of settlements in Imathia
*
Folklore Museum of the Lyceum of Hellenic Women
*
Wine and Vine Museum
*
Mieza (Macedonia)
References
{{Prefectures and provinces of Greece
Populated places in Imathia
Municipalities of Central Macedonia
Wine regions of Greece
Provinces of Greece
Roman towns and cities in Greece
Aromanian settlements in Greece