Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in
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, capital of the
Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of
Central Macedonia, after
Thessaloniki.
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, 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 ( el, Τ.Ε.Φ.Α.Α. Σερρών) and the Serres Campus of the
International Hellenic University (former "
Technological Educational Institute of Central Macedonia"), 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 historian
Herodotus mentions the city as ''Siris'' (Σίρις) in the 5th century BC.
Theopompus refers to the city as ''Sirra'' (Σίρρα). Later, it is mentioned as ''Sirae'', in the plural, by the
Roman historian
Livy. 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 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 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
Serbian may refer to:
* someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe
* someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people
* Serbian language
* Serbian names
See also
*
*
* Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
and
Macedonian
Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia.
Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to:
People Modern
* Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...
, while in
Bulgarian 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, 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 to the Danubian countries.
The most ancient known inhabitants of the area were the
Bryges (
Phrygians) and Strymonians. Afterwards were the
Paeonian 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. Th ...
(since 1100 BC) and
Odomantes (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 ancient city of
Serraepolis was founded in
Cilicia
Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian language, Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from th ...
by Siropaiones exiled from Serres.
Roman era
During the
Roman period (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, with the status of a ''
civitas stipendaria''. It flourished especially during the imperial period thanks to the ''
Pax Romana''. Then, during the
great crisis
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
of the Roman Empire (235–284 AD), the city declined and only in the times of
Diocletian, with its reforms (
Tetrarchic system), 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 ...
''), 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'') and the
archons (''
politarchai
Politarch ( el, πολιτάρχης, ''politarches''; plural πολιτάρχαι, ''politarchai'') was a Hellenistic and Roman-era Macedonian title for an elected governor (''archon'') of a city (''polis''). The term had been already attested in ...
'', ''
agoranomoi An agoranomos ( el, ἀγορανόμος, plural: ''agoranomoi'', ἀγορανόμοι) was an elected official in the cities of Ancient Greece and Byzantine Empire, responsible for order in the marketplace (''agora'', hence the name, translated a ...
'', ''
gymnasiarchai'', high priests etc.). It was also the seat of a federation of five cities ("
Pentapolis
A pentapolis (from Ancient Greek, 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 reaso ...
") 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
Serres Province was one of the four provinces of Serres Prefecture of Greece. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipalities Emmanouel Pappas
Emmanouel Pappas ( el, Εμμανουήλ Παππάς; 1772–1821) was a promin ...
. 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,
Oreini,
Ano Vrontou,
Neo Souli,
Agio Pnevma,
Chryso,
Paralimnio 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 (
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 Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, ...
,
Dioscuri,
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= ...
,
Asclepius,
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. ...
and
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic language, Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician language, Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughou ...
), are evidenced and some local and Thracian cults as the
Thracian horseman (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 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 Slavs, 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 complete ...
.
In 1185, the environs of the city were pillaged by a
Norman invasion, and in the
Battle of Serres in 1195/6 the Byzantines were defeated by the rebellious Bulgarian ruler
Ivan Asen I.
After the
Fourth Crusade,
Boniface of Montferrat took over the city, but shortly after
Kaloyan of Bulgaria defeated 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 Byzan ...
and captured the city, until it was retaken by the Crusaders in the early 1230s.
According to
George Akropolites, 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. By the 14th century, the city had regained its former size and prosperity, so that
Nikephoros Gregoras called it a "large and marvelous" city.
Taking advantage of the
Byzantine civil war of 1341–47, 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 ...
besieged and took the city on 25 September 1345. It became the capital of
Stefan Dušan's
Serbian Empire.
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
Helena may refer to:
People
*Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer
*Helena, mother of Constantine I
Places
Greece
* Helena (island)
Guyana
* ...
and after 1365 by the
Despot Jovan Uglješa.
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 (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 ...
) 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, who brought in
Yörük settlers from
Sarukhan
Sarukhan ( hy, Սարուխան) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classificat ...
.
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
Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha ( ota, چاندارلی قرة خليل خير الدين پاشا) was the first Grand Vizier of Murad I's reign. He was also technically the first in Ottoman history who held the title "Grand Vizier" (a ...
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 rebel
Sheikh Bedreddin 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 Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
arrived from Sicily and Spain,
and the Grand Vizier
Koca Mustafa Pasha 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 Sovere ...
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
Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...
and
Evliya Çelebi
Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty ye ...
, as well as the
Capuchin friar
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 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
derebeys, within the
Sanjak of Salonica.
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 (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
,
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 ...
,
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
and
Livorno. 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
florins 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 ...
in Macedonia
Emmanouil Pappas, who donated 1,000 Turkish silver coins.
Minas Minoides Konstantinos Minas ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Μηνάς; died 1859) was a manuscript collector and dealer from the Ottoman Empire. He spent much of his life in France, and after the Greek War of Independence undertook commissions in the Levant. ...
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.
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 (later
Salonica Vilayet).
In the late 19th century, the
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, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, Albania, Greeks in Italy, ...
, 19.494
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavs, 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 complete ...
, 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""T ...
, 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 ch ...
.
In the early 20th century, the city became a focus of anti-Ottoman unrest, which resulted in the
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising of 1903.
The
Ottoman census of 1905 registered 42,000 inhabitants.
Modern period
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, 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 to enter Serres was infantry colonel
Napoleon Sotilis, 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 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 fig ...
, 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 King Constantine may refer to:
* Constantine (Briton) (520–523), a king of Dumnonia in sub-Roman Britain
* Constantine I of Georgia (d. 1412), King of Georgia from 1405 or 1407 until his death
* Constantine II of Georgia (ca. 1447–1505), of t ...
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 ...
; eventually the city was liberated in 1917 by Greek-French
Entente
Entente, meaning a diplomatic "understanding", may refer to a number of agreements:
History
* Entente (alliance), a type of treaty or military alliance where the signatories promise to consult each other or to cooperate with each other in case o ...
forces under the
Venizelos Venizelos () is a Greek surname. It may refer to:
* Eleftherios Venizelos (1864–1936), Greek politician
* Sofoklis Venizelos (1894–1964), Greek politician, son of the above
* Evangelos Venizelos (born 1957), Greek politician, unrelated to the ...
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, 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 cou ...
and the island of
Thasos), 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 to the Treblinka Extermination camp, death camp and exterminated. There was a significant resistance movement in the city during the occupation, led by the left-wing National Liberation Front (Greece), 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 (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. 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 of America, United States and West Germany.
, the Mayor of Serres is Petros Angelidis (independent, formerly a member of PASOK).
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, Kapetan Mitrousi,
Lefkonas,
Oreini, Serres, and Skoutari, Serres, Skoutari.
The municipality has an area of 600.479 km
2, the municipal unit 252.973 km
2.
Climate
Serres has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cfa'') bordering on a semi-arid climate. 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 ch ...
, grain, and livestock. Following the development of a government-sponsored manufacturing area in the late 20th century, it has also become a centre for the production of textiles and other manufactured items. Various products, meat and dairy, are also produced by breeding at Lake Kerkini.
Places of interest
* Serres Public Regional Theatre
* Archaeological Museum of Serres (in the Ottoman bezesten)
* Serres Ecclesiastical Museum
* Sarakatsani Folklore Museum
* Lake Kerkini near the town
* Mehmet Bey Mosque
* Hadzilia Folklore and Ethnological Museum
*Serres Racing Circuit
* Saints Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates Church, Serres
Culture
Late Ottoman Empire, 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. Additionally, Gyro (food), gyros and souvlaki are standard forms of Greek cuisine 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.
Neighborhoods
* Katakonozi 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 (Greece), 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 Serres railway station, railway station is located, on the Thessaloniki-Alexandroupoli railway, Thessaloniki-Alexandroupoli Line, with local and regional services to
Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis.
Population
Notable residents
*Gazi Husrev-beg (1480–1541), bey 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, 19th-century Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
* Hoca Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1713
* Emmanouel Pappas, leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia
* Konstantinos Karamanlis (8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998), founder and leader of National Radical Union, ERE (''Ethniki Rizospastike Enosis'') and founder of New Democracy (Greece), New Democracy party, four times Prime Minister of Greece, the 3rd and 5th President of the Third Hellenic Republic, was born in Proti Serron, a village near Serres
* Efstathios Tavlaridis, football player
* Doukas Gaitatzis, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
* 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 regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
* Eilat, Israel
* Nilüfer, Bursa, Nilüfer, Turkey
* Larissa,
Greece
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
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
File:Serres+breed.jpg, Serrai sheep breed
References
* "Sérrai." ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2006.
* "Sérrai, Siris, or Serres." ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004.
External links
Information about Serres
Information about Serres by the Municipality of Serres
Awarded "EDEN – European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2010to the Treblinka 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)