Edessa, the City of Falls

Edessa 3000 years of history History & Culture. In 814 B.C Heraclides KARANOS makes Edessa the capital city of the first kingdom of the Macedonians and the fate of the city was identified with the history of Macedonia. Ancient, byzantine but also industrial finds testify the towns' history. Romans, Slavs, as well as Ottomans, pass from its history. On 18th October 1912, the town was liberated and incorporated to the Hellenic state as capital city of the Prefecture of Pella. In 1923 many Asian refugees came to live in Edessa while in the 50 - 60, the "White Coal" (hydro energy), which for centuries had moved mills, workshops, industries and factories, becomes useless. This was the end of the industrial growth of the town.

Capital of the prefecture with 18.832 inhabitants. Built on the foot of Vermio mountain, it has beautiful view on the plain, much green, gardens full of flowers and abundant waters. It is one of the most beautiful cities of Macedonia. In 1977, the excavations in Vergina proved that this city has no relationship with the city of Aeges, the ancient macedonian capital, as it was believed in older times. Edessa, as the excavations at Logos proved, was a significant city already since the Hellenistic Times, although its greatest bloom was noticed in the Roman and the Paleochristian Years, fact that is probably related to the existance of Egnantia Street as well as the decline of Pella. The city, which in the 7th century became bishop`s base, was significant even in the Byzantine Times. In the years of the wars of Basil the second (976-1025) against Samuel, the castle of Edessa was captured twice by the Bulgarians, yet it was taken back by the Byzantines in 1018. The sources of that age frequently mention the city by the name Vodena which results from the Slavic word "voda" which means water. In the 14th century, the castle of Vodena was under the domination of the Serbs of Dousan, till, after a siege of eight months, it was underhandedly captured by the Turks. In the years of the Turks' domination, christianity was intense in the city, while in the middle of the 18th century a hellenistic school was founded, where Parasceuas Amfilochios teached, who came from the city of Giannena. In 1782, "Hellenomuseum" and the "Common School", which was a public school, were founded, while the local people were offering money for their needs. In the end of the 18th century, when the city noticed great bloom and the Greeks were of the population, Edessa came to the authority of Ali Pasha. It was liberated with the rest Macedonia in 1912.