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 ...
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 ...
, after
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 ...
.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northern Greece. The city is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about , some northeast of the Strymon river and north-east 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 ...
, respectively. Serres' official municipal population was 76,817 in 2011 with the total number of people living in the city and its immediate surroundings estimated at around 100,000.
The city is home to the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the
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 ...
( el, Τ.Ε.Φ.Α.Α. Σερρών) and the Serres Campus of the
International Hellenic University
The International Hellenic University ( el, Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος) is a university in Greece. It was initially established in October 2005 and was based in Thessaloniki, Greece.
History
The International H ...
(former "
Technological Educational Institute of Central Macedonia
The University of Applied Sciences of Central Macedonia / Technological Educational Institute of Central Macedonia (TEICM; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Εφαρμοσμένων Επιστημών / Τεχνολογικό Εκπαιδευτικ ...
"), composed of the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Economics and Management, and the Department of Interior Architecture and Design. The head of the Faculty of Engineering of the International Hellenic University is located in Serres.
Names
The
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
historian
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 f ...
mentions the city as ''Siris'' (Σίρις) in the 5th century BC.
Theopompus
Theopompus ( grc-gre, Θεόπομπος, ''Theópompos''; c. 380 BCc. 315 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and rhetorician.
Biography
Theopompus was born on the Aegean island of Chios. In early youth, he seems to have spent some time at Athen ...
refers to the city as ''Sirra'' (Σίρρα). Later, it is mentioned as ''Sirae'', in the plural, by the
Roman
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 letter ...
historian
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...
. Since then the name of the city has remained plural and by the 5th century AD it was already in the contemporary form as ''Serrae'' or ''Sérrai'' (Σέρραι) (plural), which remained the
Katharevousa
Katharevousa ( el, Καθαρεύουσα, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contempor ...
form for the name till modern times. In the local Greek dialect, the city is still known as "ta Serras" (τα Σέρρας), which is actually a corruption of the plural accusative "tas Serras" (τας Σέρρας) of the archaic form "Serrae". The oldest mention of this form is attested in a document of the
Docheiariou Monastery
The Docheiariou monastery ( el, Μονή Δοχειαρίου) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery at the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece.
The is located in the monastery complex.
History
It was founded during the late 10th or early 11th c ...
in
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
from 1383, while there are many other such references in documents from the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It was known as ''Serez'' or ''Siroz'' in Turkish. In the Slavic languages, the city is known as ''Ser'' (Сер) in Serbian and Macedonian, while in
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
it is known as ''Syar'' (Сяр) or ''Ser'' (Сер). In Aromanian, Serres is known as or .
History
Antiquity
Although the earliest mention of Serres (as Siris) is dating in the 5th century BC (Herodotus), the city was founded long before the
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...
, probably at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. The ancient city was built on a high and steep hill (known as "Koulas") just north of Serres. It held a strategic position, since it controlled a land road that followed the valley of the river Strymon from the shores of
Strymonian Gulf The Strymonian or Strymonic Gulf (), also known as the Orfano Gulf (), is a branch of the Thracian Sea—itself part of the Aegean Sea—lying east of the Chalcidice peninsula and south of the Serres regional unit. It was formerly known as the Gulf ...
to the Danubian countries.
The most ancient known inhabitants of the area were the
Bryges
Bryges or Briges ( el, Βρύγοι or Βρίγες) is the historical name given to a people of the ancient Balkans. They are generally considered to have been related to the Phrygians, who during classical antiquity lived in western Anatolia. Bot ...
(
Phrygians
The Phrygians (Greek: Φρύγες, ''Phruges'' or ''Phryges'') were an ancient Indo-European speaking people, who inhabited central-western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) in antiquity. They were related to the Greeks.
Ancient Greek authors used ...
) and Strymonians. Afterwards were the
Paeonian
In antiquity, Paeonia or Paionia ( grc, Παιονία, Paionía) was the land and kingdom of the Paeonians or Paionians ( grc, Παίονες, Paíones).
The exact original boundaries of Paeonia, like the early history of its inhabitants, a ...
tribes of the
Siropaiones
Siro-Paeonians or Siropaiones (Ancient Greek: Σιροπαίονες, gr, Σιριοπαίονες, ή Σιρινοπαίονες) were an ancient Paeonian tribe inhabiting the ancient city of Siris (present day Serres) and the Strymon plain. They ...
(since 1100 BC) and
Odomantes
Odomanti or Odomantes ( grc, Ὀδόμαντες) were an ancient tribe. Some regard it as Paeonian, while others claim, that the tribe was with certainty Thracian. The Odomanti are noted by Herodotus, Thucydides, Stephanus of Byzantium and Plin ...
(from the early 5th century BC until the end of antiquity). These populations mainly engaged in agriculture and cattle-raising especially worshiped the Sun, the deified river Strymon and later the "
Thracian horseman
The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heros") is a recurring motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and Moesia—roughly from the 3rd century BC to ...
".
The ancient city of
Serraepolis
Serraepolis or Serraipolis ( grc, Σερραίπολις) was a town of ancient Cilicia in Asia Minor on the lower course of river Pyramos. It was also known under the names Serretillis (Σερρέτιλλις), Ser(r)opolis, Serrai kome and Siri ...
was founded in
Cilicia
Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...
by Siropaiones exiled from Serres.
Roman era
During the
Roman period
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
(168 BC – 315 AD) the city is mentioned in sources under the name ''Sirra'' (Σίρρα) and in inscriptions as ''Sirraion polis'' (Σιρραίων πόλις, ). It was an important city of the
Roman province of Macedonia
Macedonia ( grc-gre, Μακεδονία) was a province of the Roman Empire, encompassing the territory of the former Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia, which had been conquered by Rome in 168 BC at the conclusion of the Third Macedonian War. The pro ...
, with the status of a ''
civitas stipendaria
A ''civitas stipendaria'' or ''stipendiaria'', meaning "tributary state/community", was the lowest and most common type of towns and local communities under Roman rule.
Each Roman province comprised a number of communities of different status. A ...
''. It flourished especially during the imperial period thanks to the ''
Pax Romana
The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is periodization, identified as a period and as a golden age (metaphor), golden age of increased as well as sustained Imperial cult of ancient Rome ...
''. Then, during the great crisis of the Roman Empire (235–284 AD), the city declined and only in the times of
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 ...
, with its reforms (
Tetrarchic system
The Tetrarchy was the system instituted by Roman emperor Diocletian in 293 AD to govern the ancient Roman Empire by dividing it between two emperors, the '' augusti'', and their juniors colleagues and designated successors, the '' caesares ...
), returned to prosperity.
As regards the urban structure it featured, like all Greek cities, a market (''
agora
The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of t ...
''), parliament (''bouleuterion''), theater, gymnasium and temples. As we know from epigraphic evidence, the local government was also based on the known Greek institutions, which were the parliament ('' boule''), the citizen body (''
demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* plural for Demo (computer programming)
...
'') and the
archons
''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...
gymnasiarch
Gymnasiarch ( la, gymnasiarchus, from el, γυμνασίαρχος, ''gymnasiarchos''), which derives from Greek γυμνάσιον (''gymnasion'', gymnasium) + ἄρχειν, ''archein'', to lead, was the name of an official of ancient Greece wh ...
ai'', high priests etc.). It was also the seat of a federation of five cities ("
Pentapolis
A pentapolis (from Greek ''penta-'', 'five' and ''polis'', 'city') is a geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities. Cities in the ancient world probably formed such groups for political, commercial and military reasons, as happened ...
") and actively participated in the provincial life and organization of the Macedonians; while many residents, mostly members of the local aristocracy, had received the right of
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...
and were promoted to senior provincial dignities.
As a city-state (''
polis
''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...
''), apart from the usual Greek institutions, Sirra also had its own territory (''chora''), which roughly coincided with the area of the modern province of Serres. The organization of its territory was based on villages (''komai'', sing. ''kome''), whose many sites have been found in various places near modern villages, such as
Lefkonas
Lefkonas ( el, Λευκώνας) is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Serres, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an a ...
Ano Vrontou
Ano Vrontou ( el, Άνω Βροντού; bg, Горно Броди, ''Gorno Brodi'') is a remote mountain village and a former community in the northern Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the munic ...
Agio Pnevma Agio Pnevma (Greek: Άγιο Πνεύμα) is a village and a former community in Serres regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece located 12 km east of the city of Serres, on the southwestern mountain slopes of Menoikio (altitude 310 m). Since th ...
Paralimnio Paralimni ( el, Παραλίμνι, Παραλίμνιο) is a village in Serres regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece, located 21 km southeast of Serres. Since 2011 administrative reform it has been a municipal unit of the municipality of E ...
etc. Within the limits of its territory have also discovered traces of marble quarries and iron mines, which indicate systematic exploitation of the existing mineral wealth in the imperial period (1st to 3rd century AD).In terms of population, except the most numerous Greek element, are recognized some population substrates even from prehistoric times. Concerning the society, the main feature was its distinction in upper (rich) and lower (poor) social strata ( ''honestiores'' and ''humiliores'' in Latin). Finally, concerning the cults of the residents, except the known
panhellenic cults
Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, Ritual, rituals, and Greek mythology, mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and Cult (religious practice), cult practices. The application of the modern ...
(
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
,
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D ...
,
Dioscuri
Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, f ...
Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...
,
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
and
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
), are evidenced and some local and Thracian cults as the
Thracian horseman
The Thracian horseman (also "Thracian Rider" or "Thracian Heros") is a recurring motif depicted in reliefs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Balkans—mainly Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly and Moesia—roughly from the 3rd century BC to ...
(or "Hero").
Many inscriptions of Roman (imperial) times have been found in the city (and to the early 1960s in the surrounding area). From these inscriptions (almost all written in Greek and only three in Latin), the eight are votive or honorific and all other on epitaph reliefs or steles.
Middle Ages
The first attested bishop of the city is recorded as participating in the
Second 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 ...
in 449.
In Emperor
Nikephoros I
Nikephoros I or Nicephorus I ( gr, Νικηφόρος; 750 – 26 July 811) was Byzantine emperor from 802 to 811. Having served Empress Irene as '' genikos logothetēs'', he subsequently ousted her from power and took the throne himself. In r ...
rebuilt the town and installed a strong garrison against the Slavic tribes of the Balkans. The city's history was uneventful until the 10th century, being in the heartland of the Byzantine Greek world, until it was pillaged and briefly occupied by the
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 ...
. In 1185, the environs of the city were pillaged by a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
invasion, and in the
Battle of Serres
The battle of Serres ( bg, Битка при Сяр, el, Μάχη των Σερρών) took place in 1196 near the town of Serres in contemporary Greece between the armies of the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empire. The result was Bulgarian v ...
in 1195/6 the Byzantines were defeated by the rebellious Bulgarian ruler
Ivan Asen I
Ivan Asen I, also known as Asen I or John Asen I ( bg, Иван Асен I; died in 1196), was emperor or tsar of Bulgaria from 1187/1188 to 1196 as co-ruler with his elder brother, Peter II. Hailing from the Byzantine theme of Paristrion, his ...
. 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 ...
,
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 ( ...
took over the city, but shortly after
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
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 ...
defeated
Defeated may refer to:
* "Defeated" (Breaking Benjamin song)
* "Defeated" (Anastacia song)
*"Defeated", a song by Snoop Dogg from the album ''Bible of Love''
*Defeated, Tennessee, an unincorporated community
*''The Defeated
''The Defeated'', al ...
the Crusaders of the
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzanti ...
and captured the city, until it was retaken by the Crusaders in the early 1230s. According to
George Akropolites George Akropolites ( Latinized as Acropolites or Acropolita; el, , ''Georgios Akropolites''; 1217 or 1220 – 1282) was a Byzantine Greek historian and statesman born at Constantinople.
Life
In his sixteenth year he was sent by his father, the ...
, Kaloyan almost destroyed the city, reducing it from a sizeable urban centre to a small settlement clustered around the fortified citadel, while the lower town was protected by a weak stone wall.
The city returned to Byzantine rule in 1246, when it was captured by the
Nicaean Empire
The Empire of Nicaea or the Nicene Empire is the conventional historiographic name for the largest of the three Byzantine Greek''A Short history of Greece from early times to 1964'' by W. A. Heurtley, H. C. Darby, C. W. Crawley, C. M. Woodhouse ...
. By the 14th century, the city had regained its former size and prosperity, so that
Nikephoros Gregoras
Nicephorus Gregoras (; Greek: , ''Nikephoros Gregoras''; c. 1295 – 1360) was a Greek astronomer, historian, and theologian.
Life
Gregoras was born at Heraclea Pontica, where he was raised and educated by his uncle, John, who was the Bisho ...
called it a "large and marvelous" city. Taking advantage of the
Byzantine civil war of 1341–47
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 ...
, the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
besieged and took the city on 25 September 1345. It became the capital of
Stefan Dušan
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...
's
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 ...
. Dušan rebuilt the citadel for the last time. After Dušan's death in 1355 his realm fell into feudal anarchy, and Serres became a separate principality, initially under Dushan's Empress-dowager Helena and after 1365 by the Despot
Jovan Uglješa Jovan may refer to:
*Jovan (given name), a list of people with this given name
*Jovan, Mawal, a village on the western coastal region of Maharashtra, India
*Jōvan Musk, a cologne
*Deli Jovan, a mountain in eastern Serbia
*Róbert Jován (born 1967 ...
. Jovan Uglješa maintained close political and cultural ties to the Byzantine court in Constantinople, and the Greek element rose again to prominence: local Greeks played a major role in his administration, which was carried out in the Greek language. After the 1371 Battle of Maritsa, the Byzantines under
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Μανουὴλ Παλαιολόγος, Manouēl Palaiológos; 27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425) was Byzantine emperor from 1391 to 1425. Shortly before his death he was tonsured a monk and received the na ...
(then governor of
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 ...
) retook Serres.
Ottoman period
Serres fell to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
for the first time briefly in 1371, and definitely on 19 September 1383—although the Ottoman sources give several earlier and contradictory dates, the date is securely established by multiple Greek sources.
The city (Siroz in Turkish) and the surrounding region became a fief of
Evrenos Beg
Evrenos or Evrenuz (died 17 November 1417 in Yenice-i Vardar) was an Ottoman military commander. Byzantine sources mention him as Ἐβρενός, Ἀβρανέζης, Βρανέζης, Βρανεύς (?), Βρενέζ, Βρενέζης, Βρε ...
, who brought in Yörük settlers from Sarukhan. Oral sources report that the terms of surrender guaranteed to the Greek population possession of its city quarters and churches, while the Turks were to settle outside the Byzantine walls, which were soon demolished to prevent any rebellion. The new Turkish quarters were established to the west and south of the walls, and named after their military leaders. The Grand Vizier Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha built the town's first mosque, the Old Mosque (''Eski Camii''), now destroyed, in 1385, as well as the Old Baths (''Eski Hammam''). In the same year, Sultan
Murad I
Murad I ( ota, مراد اول; tr, I. Murad, Murad-ı Hüdavendigâr (nicknamed ''Hüdavendigâr'', from fa, خداوندگار, translit=Khodāvandgār, lit=the devotee of God – meaning "sovereign" in this context); 29 June 1326 – 15 Jun ...
used the city as a base for operations against the Serbs. During the
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum, or the Ottoman Civil War ( 20 July 1402 – 5 July 1413; tr, Fetret Devri, , Interregnum Period), was a civil war in the Ottoman Empire between the sons of Sultan Bayezid I following the defeat of their father at the B ...
, the rebel
Sheikh Bedreddin
Sheikh Bedreddin (1359–1420) ( ota, شیخ بدرالدین), full name Sheikh Bedreddin Mahmud bin Israel bin Abdulaziz was an influential mystic, scholar, theologian, and revolutionary. He is best known for his role in a 1416 revolt against t ...
was executed in the city in 1412. Although never rising to particular prominence within the Ottoman Empire, Serres became the site of a mint from 1413/14 on.
In 1454/55, the city is estimated to have had some 6,200 inhabitants. The Muslim population grew steadily, and in the 15th century there were 25 Muslim to 45 Christian quarters. Towards the end of the 15th century, the first
Sephardi Jews
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...
arrived from Sicily and Spain, and the Grand Vizier
Koca Mustafa Pasha
Koca Mustafa Pasha (died 1512) was an Ottoman statesman. He was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1511 to 1512.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türkiye Yayınevi, İstanbul, 1971, p. 13. (Turkish) He was Roman (''Ru ...
funded various public and charitable buildings in the city. In the early 16th century, Serres was visited by the French traveller Pierre Belon, who reported that the town was mainly inhabited by Greeks alongside German and Sephardi communities, while the people in the surrounding country spoke Greek and Bulgarian. In the aftermath of the Christian victory at the
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states (comprising Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Soverei ...
in 1571, Turkish reprisals were directed at the Greek population, who had risen in revolt. The metropolitan cathedral of Serres was looted along with seven other churches, while land and land titles owned by the Monastery of St John the Baptist were confiscated.
Much information on the town's history in the years 1598–1642 is given by the chronicle of the priest Synadinos, a former merchant who became a priest. The town is also described in some detail by the 17th-century Ottoman travellers Haji Khalifa and
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 ...
Robert de Dreux
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
. Evliya records a prosperous settlement, comprising the 10 Christian quarters of the old town, and 30 Muslim quarters in the new town, with about 2,000 and 4,000 houses respectively, 12 main mosques and 91 smaller ones, 26
madrasah
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s, two
tekkes
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
and five baths. It boasted a large market, among the most important in the region of Macedonia, with 2,000 shops and 17
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
s.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Serres was an autonomous lordship (beylik) under a succession of
derebey
A derebey ( tr, valley lord) was a feudal lord in Anatolia and the Pontic areas of Lazistan and Adjara in the 18th century, with considerable independence from the central government of the Ottoman Empire.
Derebeys were required to provide militar ...
s, 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 ...
. At the end of the 18th century, Serres was a cotton-producing area, exporting 50,000 balls of cotton to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
and
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...
. The metropolitan bishop Gabriel founded in 1735 the Greek School of Serres, which he directed until 1745. The school was maintained by donations from wealthy Greek merchants, among them Ioannes Constas from
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
with 10,800
florin
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
s and the banker and tragic leader of 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 ...
in Macedonia
Emmanouil Pappas
Emmanouel Pappas ( el, Εμμανουήλ Παππάς; 1772–1821) was a prominent member of Filiki Eteria and leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia.
Biography
Pappas was born in Dovista (Δοβίστα), Serres regional uni ...
, who donated 1,000 Turkish silver coins. Minas Minoides taught philosophy and grammar in 1815–19. The school operated also in the period of the Greek War of Independence under Argyrios Paparizou from
Siatista
Siatista ( el, Σιάτιστα) is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, Western Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Voio, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It ...
.
A great fire in 1849 destroyed most of the city's 31 surviving churches. Serres became a regular province as the
Sanjak of Siroz
The Sanjak of Siroz or Serres ( Ottoman Turkish: ''Sancak-i/Liva-i Siroz''; el, λιβάς/σαντζάκι Σερρών, bg, Серски Санджак) was a second-level Ottoman province (''sanjak'' or '' liva'') encompassing the region aro ...
of the
Salonica Eyalet
Salonica Eyalet ( ota, ایالت سلانیك; Eyālet-i Selānīk) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire.
Administrative divisions
Sanjaks of the Eyalet in the mid-19th century: By James Henry Skene
# Sanjak of Tirhala (Trikala)
# Sanjak of Selan ...
(later
Salonica Vilayet
The Vilayet of Salonica ( ota, ولايت سلانيك, Vilâyet-i Selânik) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire from 1867 to 1912. In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of . In the late 19th century, 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 Serres had a total population of 83.499, consisting of 31.210 Muslims, 31.148
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 ...
, 19.494
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 ...
, 995
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 ...
, 5
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
and 647 foreign citizens, and ranked, along with Monastir and Salonica, as one of the most important towns in Macedonia.
The development of railways, highways and sea transport by steamship diminished the importance of the annual fairs for which the city was famous, and commercial activity declined in the late 19th century. In 1886, the Greek colonel N. Schinas described the city as having 28,000 inhabitants, 26 churches and 22 mosques, two Greek and six Turkish schools, 24 khans and an enclosed market. The city recovered some of its importance when it was connected via railway to Salonica and Constantinople in 1896. During the last decades of Ottoman rule, the once dominant cultivation of cotton was replaced by
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
A Bulgarian army commanded by General Georgi Todorov captured Serres during the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
on November 6, 1912, but was forced to withdraw by Greek forces commanded by the King of Greece,
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, during the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
. The first officer of 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 ...
to enter Serres was infantry colonel
Napoleon Sotilis
Napoleon Sotilis ( el, Ναπολέων Σωτίλης) was a Hellenic Army officer who reached the rank of Lieutenant General.
Life
He was born in Nafplio on 1 November 1860. He entered the Hellenic Army Academy, graduating as an Ensign of the ...
, head of the 7th Infantry Regiment on July 11, 1913.
Prior to abandoning the city, the Bulgarians set fire to it, which burned down much of the old Byzantine town, as well as many of the newer Muslim quarters. As the
National Schism
The National Schism ( el, Εθνικός Διχασμός, Ethnikós Dichasmós), also sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between Constantine I of Greece, King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizel ...
erupted in Greece during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Serres was temporarily occupied by the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
after King Constantine ordered the local garrison not to resist to a token force of the
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...
; eventually the city was liberated in 1917 by Greek-French Entente forces under the Venizelos government.
During the
Second World War
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 ...
, after the conquest of mainland Greece by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in April 1941 (which was followed by the conquest of Crete in June), Serres was assigned by the Nazis to their Bulgarian allies (along with the rest of
East Macedonia and Thrace
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ( el, Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη, translit=Anatolikí Makedonía ke Thráki, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the coun ...
and the island of
Thasos
Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area.
The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate re ...
), who occupied the city until the Allied liberation of Greece in 1944. In 1943, Serres'
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 ...
population was deported by the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
to the
Treblinka
Treblinka () was an extermination camp, built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Masovian Voivodeship. The camp ...
death camp
Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...
and exterminated. There was a significant resistance movement in the city during the occupation, led by the left-wing National Liberation Front (EAM).
In the postwar years, the city's population grew substantially, and there was also a significant rise in the standard of living. The long-serving conservative Greek Prime Minister
Constantine Karamanlis
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Γ. Καραμανλής, ; 8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998), commonly anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or just Caramanlis, was a four-time prime minister and twice as the president of ...
(in office from 1955 to 1963 and again from 1974 to 1980) was a native of Serres, and as a result its people could count on the support of the central Greek government in
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 ...
. However, the villages in the plains around the city were not so lucky; the low prices of agricultural products led many people of these villages to emigrate, mostly to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
, the Mayor of Serres is Petros Angelidis (independent, formerly a member of
PASOK
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement ( el, Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellínio Sosialistikó Kínima, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK, (; , ) is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012, it ...
).
Municipality
The present Serres municipality was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 6 former municipalities, that became municipal units of the new municipality:
Ano Vrontou
Ano Vrontou ( el, Άνω Βροντού; bg, Горно Броди, ''Gorno Brodi'') is a remote mountain village and a former community in the northern Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the munic ...
,
Kapetan Mitrousi
Kapetan Mitrousi ( el, Καπετάν Μητρούσι) is a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Serres, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located in t ...
,
Lefkonas
Lefkonas ( el, Λευκώνας) is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Serres, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an a ...
, Oreini, Serres, and Skoutari.
The municipality has an area of 600.479 km2, the municipal unit 252.973 km2.
Climate
Serres has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cfa'') bordering on a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
. Serres has an irregular precipitation pattern across the year, with no pronounced dry season, although rainfall is light year round. Summers are hot, whereas winters are cool but rarely very cold.
Economy
Serres is the capital of a primarily agricultural district and is an important trade centre for
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
,
grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
, and
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
. Following the development of a government-sponsored manufacturing area in the late 20th century, it has also become a centre for the production of
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 the ...
s and other manufactured items. Various products, meat and dairy, are also produced by breeding at
Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini ( gr, Λίμνη Κερκίνη - Limni Kerkini) is an artificial reservoir in Central Macedonia, Greece that was created in 1932, and then redeveloped in 1980, on the site of what was previously an extremely extensive marshland.
L ...
.
Places of interest
* Serres Public Regional Theatre
*
Archaeological Museum of Serres
The Archaeological Museum of Serres () is located in the old centre of Serres, a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is housed in the city's Ottoman-era ''bedesten'' (Μπεζεστένι) a fifteenth-century building in Eleftherias Square.
Bui ...
Sarakatsani Folklore Museum
The Sarakatsani Folklore Museum ( el, Λαογραφικό Μουσείο Σαρακατσάνων) is a museum dedicated to the history and traditions of the Sarakatsani group native to northern Greek Macedonia. The museum was established in Serre ...
*
Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini ( gr, Λίμνη Κερκίνη - Limni Kerkini) is an artificial reservoir in Central Macedonia, Greece that was created in 1932, and then redeveloped in 1980, on the site of what was previously an extremely extensive marshland.
L ...
near the town
*
Mehmet Bey Mosque
The Mehmet Bey Mosque ( el, Τέμενος Μεχμέτ Μπέη, tr, Mehmet Bey Camii), locally also known as Hagia Sophia ( el, Αγιά Σοφιά), is a 15th-century Ottoman Empire, Ottoman mosque in the city of Serres in northern Greece.
...
*
Hadzilia Folklore and Ethnological Museum
The Hadzilia Folklore and Ethnological Museum is a private museum in the northern Greek city of Serres, a collection built up over twenty years, which opened in June 1998. History
Housed on the ground floor of a building in Serres town centre, i ...
*
Serres Racing Circuit
Serres Racing Circuit ( gr, Αυτοκινητοδρόμιο Σερρών, Aftokinitodromio Serron) is a motor racing circuit in the City of Serres in Greece. The operator is "Serres Circuit S.A". The main shareholder is the Municipality of Serre ...
*
Saints Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates Church, Serres Saints Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates Church, or commonly known Saints Theodoroi (Greek: Άγιοι Θεόδωροι) is the old Byzantine Cathedral of the city of Serres in northern Greece.
It was built in 1124 and is dedicated to Theodore ...
Culture
Late Ottoman author Omer Seyfeddin set his fictional work White Tulip (''Beyaz Lale'') describing events during the First Balkan War in the town.
Cuisine
Probably the most well-known food from Serres is
bougatsa
Bougatsa ( ) is a Greek breakfast pastry (sweet or savoury) consisting of either semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo.
Origin
The name comes from the Byzantine Greek πογάτσα (pogátsa), from the a ...
. Additionally,
gyros
Gyros—in some regions, chiefly North America, anglicized as a gyro (; el, γύρος, yíros/gyros, turn, )—is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, then sliced and served wrapped or stuffed in pita bread, along with ingredients such a ...
and
souvlaki
Souvlaki ( el, σουβλάκι, , ; plural: , ), is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while still hot. It can be served with o ...
are standard forms of
Greek cuisine
Greek cuisine (Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα) is the cuisine of Greece and the Greek diaspora. In common with many other cuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine. It uses vegetables, oli ...
served in many restaurants and taverns. One delicacy that is truly unique to the region is Akanés, which is a type of gourmet candy delight prepared according to a secret recipe since the beginning of the 20th century by the Roumbos family. Allegedly, Aristeidis Roumbos, the confectioner who invented this candy, disclosed the recipe to one of his loyal trainees, who then proceeded to establish a rival akanes business. Nevertheless, the Roumbos family, to this day, continues to produce this delight in their quaint workshop, which is reminiscent of life in the 1950s. Another popular dessert of the area is ''Poniró'', similar to
sfogliatella
A sfogliatella (, plural: sfogliatelle; nap, sfugliatella), sometimes called a lobster tail in the US, is a shell-shaped filled Italian pastry originating from Campania. ''Sfogliatella'' means "small, thin leaf/layer", as the pastry's texture res ...
.
Neighborhoods
*
Katakonozi
Katakonozi () is a neighborhood in Serres, Greece.
According to local legend, the Byzantine family of 'Kantakouzinos' once possessed the land that now belongs to the neighborhood.
At the end of the 20th century, it was established as a location f ...
is one of the most prosperous neighborhoods of the city, and it is currently experiencing a real estate growth.
* Kamenikia is one historic western neighborhood of the city.
*Taxiarches (Center)
*Kallithea
*Agios Panteleimon
*Agios Antonios
*Kiouplia
*Omonoia - Kalyvia
*Agios Nikitas
*Ionia (Sfageia)
*Saranta Martyres
*Profitis Ilias
*Siris (Sigis / Nea Kifisia)
*Agioi Anargyroi
*Timiou Stavrou
*Agios Athanasios
*Makedonomachon
*Vyzantio (Kalkani)
Transport
Road
passes near the city, connecting the city with Thessaloniki and the Greek-Bulgarian border of Promachonas.
The Urban KTEL of Serres (has undertaken the transport within the city, while the Intercity KTEL of Serres connects the city with other cities of Macedonia and the rest of Greece.
Rail
Outside the city the
railway station
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 ...
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
Alexandroupolis
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 ...
.
Population
Notable residents
*
Gazi Husrev-beg
Gazi Husrev-beg ( ota, غازى خسرو بك, ''Gāzī Ḫusrev Beğ''; Modern Turkish: ''Gazi Hüsrev Bey''; 1480–1541) was an Ottoman Bosnian sanjak-bey (governor) of the Sanjak of Bosnia in 1521–1525, 1526–1534, and 1536–1541. He w ...
(1480–1541),
bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
*
Halil Rifat Pasha
Halil Rifat Pasha ( Modern Turkish: ''Halil Rıfat Paşa''; 1820According to the obituary in The Times, he was born about 1807. This would make him almost 95 years old at the time of his death. Other sources give 1820.–9 November 1901) was an ...
, 19th-century
Grand Vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
of the Ottoman Empire
*
Hoca Ibrahim Pasha
Hoca is the Turkish spelling of the Persian word Khawaja (Persian: خواجه ''khwāja, khâjeh''), used as a title, given name or surname.
As a title, Hoca (variant ''Hodja'') means “master” and is commonly used for teachers, professors ...
, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1713
*
Emmanouel Pappas
Emmanouel Pappas ( el, Εμμανουήλ Παππάς; 1772–1821) was a prominent member of Filiki Eteria and leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia.
Biography
Pappas was born in Dovista (Δοβίστα), Serres regional uni ...
, leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia
*
Konstantinos Karamanlis
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Γ. Καραμανλής, ; 8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998), commonly Anglicisation, anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or just Caramanlis, was a four-time prime minister and List of he ...
(8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998), founder and leader of ERE (''Ethniki Rizospastike Enosis'') and founder of
New Democracy
New Democracy, or the New Democratic Revolution, is a concept based on Mao Zedong's Bloc of Four Social Classes theory in Chinese Communist Revolution, post-revolutionary China which argued originally that democracy in China would take a path ...
party, four times Prime Minister of Greece, the 3rd and 5th President of the
Third Hellenic Republic
The Third Hellenic Republic ( el, Γ΄ Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Triti Elliniki Dimokratia) is the period in modern Greek history that stretches from 1974, with the fall of the Greek military junta and the final abolition of the Gree ...
, was born in Proti Serron, a village near Serres
* Efstathios Tavlaridis, football player
*
Doukas Gaitatzis
Doukas Gaitatzis ( el, Δούκας Γαϊτατζής) also known under the nom de guerre as Kapetan Zervas (Greek: Καπετάν Ζέρβας) was a significant Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle.
Biography
Doukas Gaitatzis was born ...
, chieftain 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 ...
* Demetrius Hondros, physicist
* Giorgos Kapoutzidis (1972), scriptwriter and actor
* Glykeria, singer
* Stratos Dionysiou (1935–1990), singer
* Angelos Charisteas, football player
* Maria Houkli, journalist
* Anna Spyridopoulou, basketball player
* Kostas Tsimikas, football player
* Vicky Kalogera (1971), astrophysicist, Professor at Northwestern University and Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)
Dimitrios Psaltis (1970), astrophysicist, Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of Arizona
Panos Ipeirotis computer scientist, Professor of Information, Operations and Management Sciences at NYU Stern
Motor Sports
The City of Serres attracts high attention for motor sports. In the city is th Serres Circuit It was built in 1998 in accordance with the construction requirements of up to Formula Three, Formula 3 races. The racetrack is the largest in Greece and meets the construction specifications of the International Automobile Federation and of the International Motorcycling Federation. It is a municipal corporation with majority shareholder the Municipality of Serres.
Higher education
In the city of Serres there is the Technological Educational Institution (TEI) of Central Macedonia. It has more than 14.000 bachelor and master students, also three faculties and even more departments. In autumn 2012 there operated (for first time) two master programmes in English (MBA, MSc) and in 2013 a third one was added (MSc). In 2019 the Technological Educational Institution (TEI) of Central Macedonia merged with the International Hellenic University Website
There is also a Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki that operates in the city of Serres, offering bachelor's and master's degrees Website ''(in Greek)''
In addition, in the Vocational Training Institute (Greek language, Greek: Ι.Ε.Κ.) of Serres, various specialisations are being taught in programmes that last for up to two years of study Website
Sporting teams
Serres hosts the sport clubs Panserraikos, football club that plays in second national division (football league 2), Ikaroi Serron, basketball club that plays in Beta Ethniki and Ofka Serres (Omilos Filon Klassikou Athlitismou)http://www.segas.gr/el/c2/index-c2s1.asp?clubID=506
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Serres is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
* Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
* Fosses,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
* Eilat, Israel
* Nilüfer, Bursa, Nilüfer, Turkey
* Larissa,
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 ...
Gallery
File:Saint Paraskevi Church, Serres 02.jpg, View of the center
File:Saints Cosmas and Damian Church, Serres 41.jpg, Sts Cosmas and Damian church (1817)
File:Evangelical Church, Serres 01.jpg, Evangelical church of Serres
File:Saint John the Baptist, Serres 31.jpg, St John Baptist church
File:20111029 Ahmet Pasha Mosque Mehmet Bey Serres Greece 1.jpg,
Mehmet Bey Mosque
The Mehmet Bey Mosque ( el, Τέμενος Μεχμέτ Μπέη, tr, Mehmet Bey Camii), locally also known as Hagia Sophia ( el, Αγιά Σοφιά), is a 15th-century Ottoman Empire, Ottoman mosque in the city of Serres in northern Greece.
...
File:Panserraikos FC football pitch.JPG, Serres Municipal Stadium
File:Serres IM Prodromou Andronicos.jpg, Fresco in Prodromou Monastery near Serres, depicting Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos presenting to the monastery some privileges
File:MakKerkiniSee12.jpg, Buffalos breeding,
Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini ( gr, Λίμνη Κερκίνη - Limni Kerkini) is an artificial reservoir in Central Macedonia, Greece that was created in 1932, and then redeveloped in 1980, on the site of what was previously an extremely extensive marshland.
L ...
File:Serres+breed.jpg, Serrai sheep breed
References
* "Sérrai." ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2006.
* "Sérrai, Siris, or Serres." ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004.
Treblinka
Treblinka () was an extermination camp, built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Masovian Voivodeship. The camp ...
extermination camp during World War II, at Yad Vashem website.
{{Authority control
Serres,
Municipalities of Central Macedonia
Greek prefectural capitals
Archaeological sites in Macedonia (Greece)
Geography of ancient Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Provinces of Greece
Castles in Greece
Fortified settlements
Populated places in Serres (regional unit)