'Kastoria' is a city in northern
Greece in the
periphery of
West Macedonia. It is the capital of
Kastoria Prefecture, located at . The town's population is estimated as some 20,660 people (1991 census). It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of
Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by
limestone mountains.
Name
There are many theories regarding the name ''Kastoria'' (in
Greek: Καστοριά ). It has been claimed that the name derives from the Greek word ''κάστορας/kástoras'' (
beaver), who may have lived in the nearby lake (Lake Orestiada). Other theories propose that the name derives from the Greek word ''κάστρο/kástro'' (
castle; from the
Latin word ''castrum'') or from the mythical hero ''Κάστωρ''/''
Kástor'', who may have been honoured in the area. The name for the city in
Slavic is ''Kostur/Костур'' (meaning ''skeleton'', from ''kost'', 'bone'), the
Aromanian name is ''Kastoria'' and the
Turkish name is ''Kesriye''.
Subdivisions
★
Aposkepos (Απόσκεπος) (2001 pop: 135)
★
Chloi (Χλόη) (2001 pop: 819)
★ 'Kastoria'
★
Kefalari (Κεφαλάρι) (2001 pop: 451)
Population
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal population |
|---|
| 1981 | 20,660 | - | - |
| 1991 | 14,775 | 5,885/-28.48% | - |
| 2001 | 14,813 | 38/2.57% | 16,218 |
Ancient History
Kastoria is believed to have had ancient origins; it has been identified with the ancient town of ''Celetrum'', which the
Romans captured in
200 BC. The
Byzantine historian
Procopius records that it was later renamed ''Justinianopolis''. The town's strategic position led to it being contested between the
Byzantine Empire and the
Despotate of Epirus during the
13th century; it was held by the
Serbian Empire between
1331 and
1380.
Ottoman Kastoria
Around
1385, the
Ottoman Empire conquered Kastoria. During the
First Balkan War (
1912), Greece took Kastoria. The 1913 treaties of
London and
Bucharest confirmed Kastoria as Greek territory.
Greek Kastoria
During both
World War II and the
Greek Civil War, the town was repeatedly fought over and heavily damaged in the process. It was nearly captured by the
Communist ELAS movement in
1948, and the final battles of the civil war took place on the nearby
Mount Grammos.
Jewish Community
In 1943 the Jewish population in Kastoria numbered over 980, composed predominantly of
Ladino language speaking
Sephardic Jews. Many family names were of Italian origin as a result of emigrations (originally from Spain) via Italy in 17th and 18th centuries.
In 1944, under Nazi German occupation during World War II, the Jewish community was devastated as part of a program of deliberate extermination of Jews during the Holocaust. Kastoria was liberated by Allied troops less than 4 months after the Jewish citizens were forced out.
By the end of the war in 1945, 38 of the original population survived -the vast majority of the community killed in concentration camps.
Economy
Kastoria is renowned for its
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 center has been built in the city of Kastoria. The town's
airport is named
Aristotelis Airport.
Sights of interest
Kastoria 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. Some of these have been restored and provide a useful insight into Greek Orthodox styles of architecture and
fresco painting. The Museum of Byzantine History located on Dexamenis Square
[1] houses many examples of Byzantine iconography.
Sports
Football/soccer teams
Kastoria FC is the town's football team. It was established in
1963 when three local sides joined to form one stronger team representing the town. The team's most successful years to date were
1974 when it was promoted to the Greek first division and competed there for a year, and then 1980 when it won the Greek Cup after an impressive 5-2 victory over Iraklis FC in the final. The team are hoping to return to the first division this year as they are currently competing for the second division (
Beta Ethniki) title.
References
★ ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 2004.
★ ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2005.
★ ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Places'', 1999.
★ ''Rough Guide to Greece'', Mark Ellingham ''et al'', 2000.
External links
★ In Greek:
★
★
Official municipal website (English version under construction)
★
★
Portal of Kastoria
★
★ http://egnatia.ee.auth.gr/~sthat/kids/kast.html
★
Kastoria FC
★
Kastoria Byzantine Museum
★
Kastoria Folklore Museum
★
Dispilio Lakeside Neolithic Settlement
★
Football club website
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