Wednesday 26 August 2015

KASTORIA, GREECE

Kastoriá is a city in northern Greece in the region of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains. The town is known for its many Byzantine churches, Ottoman-era domestic architecture, furs, and trout.

Kastoriá is an international centre of fur trade, which dominates the local economy. Indeed, (as mentioned above) the town was possibly named after one of the former staples of the trade – the European beaver (kastóri in Greek), now extinct in the area. Trading in mink fur now predominates and every year an international showcase of fur takes place in the city. Other industries include the sale and distribution of locally grown produce, particularly wheat, apples, wine and fish. Recently a large shopping centre has been built in the city and attracts customers from the wider surrounding area.

Kastoriá is an important religious centre for the Greek Orthodox Church and is the seat of a metropolitan bishop. It originally had 72 Byzantine and medieval churches, of which 54 have survived, including St Athanasius of Mouzaki. Some of these have been restored and provide useful insight into trends in Late Byzantine styles of architecture and fresco painting. The Museum of Byzantine History houses many examples of Byzantine iconography. The Costume Museum and the Monument Museum are also located in the city. Kastoriá is filled with old manors dating to the Ottoman period, while parts of the old Byzantine walls also survive.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.









9 comments:

  1. i think we can agree that the world is filled with beautiful places all over....

    Have a nice day
    Melody (abc-w-team)

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  2. Oh another place I now want to visit in Greece that I previously didn't know existed! Thanks for this post. Jackie @ travelnwrite

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  3. Lovely photos.
    Thanks for stopping by http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/bennett-place-bit-of-history.html to share.

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  4. You took gorgeous shots of a beautiful place. Thanks.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  5. You did a great job again Nick. It is always a pleasure to visit your blog. ;-)

    Greetings from the Netherlands!
    Gert Jan
    www.gertjanhermus.nl

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  6. Stunning photos. It looks like an idyllic spot and I love the water. Also, I like the red tiled rooftops! Beautiful,

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  7. pretty, AND a geography lesson

    ROG, ABCW

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  8. Absolutely beautiful photos, I love visiting other countries through the eyes of bloggers.
    Visiting your blog from A Southern Daydreamer!!

    Please join me to party as well.Oh My Heartsie Girl and Friends

    Have a beautiful week!
    Karren

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I love to hear from you, so please comment. I appreciate constructive criticism as it improves my skills as an amateur photographer.