The ancient city of Philippi, in eastern Macedonia,
was situated near the head of the Aegean Sea at the foot of Mount Orbelos,
about eight miles northwest of Kavalla. The ruins sit on the northern border of
the marsh that in antiquity covered the entire plain, separating it from the
Pangaion hills to the south. Established by Philip II in 356 B.C.E. and
abandoned in the 14th century, after the Ottoman conquest, the city experienced
continued prosperity that has been attributed at different times to trade, to
gold mines, and to Paul and his ministry.
The Archaeological Site of Philippi, the most
important one in the Eastern Macedonian area of Greece, is on UNESCO’s list of
World Heritage Monuments since mid-July 2016, satisfying all the institution’s
significant and strict criteria. At the 40th Session of the Committee, which
took place in Istanbul, from July 10th to 17th, Philippi was unanimously listed
as a World Heritage Site.
The line of the walls begins at the top of
the hill and it surrounds the foot of the hill and part of the valley below.
The structure has two architectural phases: the first was built by Philip II
and the second by Justinian I in AD 527-565. Inside the acropolis there
is a tower dated to the Late Byzantine period. It is a fortification that could
control the entire valley between Philippi and Mount Pangaion.
In the Archaeological Site of Philippi you
should pay a visit to its fortified walls and the Acropolis. You can go by car
or by bus. Here is the bus’s hours from Kavala to Philippoi: https://www.ktelkavalas.gr/
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