Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, the principal

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...

of eastern

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 former administr ...

and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of

Thasos Thasos or Thassos (, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of 380 km2 and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate regiona ...

and on the A2 motorway, a one-and-a-half-hour drive to

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

( west) and a forty-minute drive to

Drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

( north) and Xanthi ( east). It is also about 150 kilometers west of

Alexandroupoli Alexandroupolis (, ) or Alexandroupoli (, ) is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros (regional unit), Evros regional unit. It is the largest city in Greek Thrace and the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with a population of 71,75 ...

. Kavala is an important economic centre of Northern Greece, a center of commerce, tourism, fishing and oil-related activities and formerly a thriving trade in tobacco.

Names

Historically the city is known by several names. In antiquity the name of the city was Neapolis ('new city', like many Greek colonies). In the Early Middle Ages it was renamed to Christo(u)polis ('city of Christ') and from the 16th century and on to Kavala.

Etymology

The etymology of the modern name of the city is disputed. Some mention an ancient Greek settlement of ''Skavala'' near the town. Others propose that the name is derived from the Italian ''cavallo'' which means horse. The city is situated on the ancient route of

Via Egnatia The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a contin ...

; hence Cavala designated "the horses" (cavalla) where imperial couriers changed horses. The French traveller Bellon, who visited Kavala in 1547, mentions a local tradition that the city initially took its name from

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

, who named it "Bukephala", after the name of his horse Bucephalus. Another possibility is that "Kavala" is a Turkish name, given by the Turks after they refounded the city at the beginning of the 16th century. Last but not least, as the

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Georgios Bakalakis first pointed out, there was a Byzantine fortress named Kavala close to the Byzantine city of Iconium – now

Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...

– in Asia Minor. When the Ottomans brought Muslim settlers from Iconium to establish in the territory of Kavala at the beginning of the 16th century, these people brought the name of their homeland with them. Nowadays the city's nickname is "the cyan city" (Η γαλάζια πόλη) and the symbol of the municipality of Kavala is the head of goddess Parthenos, the patron goddess of ancient Neapolis, as depicted in the coinage of the ancient Greek city.

History

Antiquity

The city was founded in the late 7th century BC by settlers from

Thassos Thasos or Thassos (, ''Thásos'') is a List of islands of Greece, Greek island in the North Aegean, North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of 380 km2 and a population of abo ...

. It was one of several Thassian colonies along the coastline, all founded in order to take advantage of rich gold and silver mines, especially those located in the nearby Pangaion mountain (which were eventually exploited by Phillip II of Macedonia). Worship of Parthenos/Virgin, a female deity of Greek Ionian origin associated with Athena, is archaeologically attested in the Archaic period. At the end of the 6th century BC Neapolis claimed independence from Thassos and began issuing its own silver coins with the

head of Gorgo The Gorgons ( ; ), in Greek mythology, are three monstrous sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, said to be the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They lived near their sisters the Graeae, and were able to turn anyone who looked at them to stone. ...

(γοργὀνειο) on one side. A few decades later a large Ionic temple made from Thassian marble replaced the Archaic one. Parts of it can now be seen in the town's archaeological museum. In 411 BC, during the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

, Neapolis was besieged by the allied armies of the Spartans and the Thassians but remained faithful to Athens. Two Athenian honorary decrees in 410 and 407 BC rewarded Neapolis for its loyalty. Neapolis was a town of

, located from the harbour of

Philippi Philippi (; , ''Phílippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (, ''Krēnĩdes'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Phili ...

. It was a member of the

Second Athenian League The Second Athenian League was a maritime confederation of Polis, Greek city-states that existed from 378 to 355 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Classical Athens, Athens. The alliance represented a partial revival of the Delian League, which ...

; a pillar found in Athens mentions the contribution of Neapolis to the alliance. The town was later conquered by the Kingdom of Macedonia.

Roman and Byzantine Era

The military Roman road

passed through the city and helped commerce to flourish. It became a Roman ''

civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...

'' in 168 BC, and was a base for

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...

and Cassius in 42 BC, before their defeat in the

Battle of Philippi The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Liberators' civil war between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius, in 42 BC, at Philippi in ...

. The Apostle

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

landed at Neapolis during his first voyage to Europe. Kavala port

In the 6th century,

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

, an Illyrian from Taor, Dardania (Procopius), fortified the city in an effort to protect it from barbarian raids. In later

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

times the city was called "Christo(u)polis" (Χριστούπολις, "city of Christ") and belonged initially to the

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...

and later to the Theme of Strymon. The first surviving mention of the new name is in a ''taktikon'' of the early 9th century. The city is also mentioned in the "Life of St. Gregory of Dekapolis". In the 8th and 9th centuries, Bulgarian attacks forced the Byzantines to reorganise the defence of the area, giving great care to Christoupolis with fortifications and a notable garrison. The city remained under Byzantine control and in 837 Byzantine armed forces from Christoupolis under the command of Caesar Alexius Moselie stopped Bulgarian raids in the plain of Philippoi. At about 830–840 AD dates a Greek inscription on the walls of a defensive tower of the fortifications of the city, still visible today, and in 926, according to another inscription (nowadays in the archaeological museum of Kavala), the General of the Theme of Strymon Vasilios Klaudon, restored the "fallen and damaged" defensive walls. In the mid of the 12th century the Arab geographer Edrisi visited Christoupolis and described it as a well fortified city and a center of sea trade. According to another inscription, also nowadays in the archaeological museum of Kavala, the Normans probably burnt the city in 1185, after they captured first Thessaloniki. Some years later, the city fell to the hands of the Lombards, after the Fourth Crusade and was liberated again by the leader of the state of Epirus, Theodorus Komnenos, in 1225. In 1302, the

Catalans Catalans ( Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; ; ; or ) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citizens of Catalonia, a nationality and autono ...

failed to capture the city. In order to prevent them from coming back, the Byzantine emperor

Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos (; 25 March 1297 – 15 June 1341), commonly Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus, was the Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341. He was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia. He was proclaimed c ...

built a new long defensive wall. In 1357 two Byzantine officers and brothers, Alexios and John, controlled the city and its territory. Excavations have revealed the ruins of an early Byzantine basilica under an Ottoman mosque in the Old Town. It was used until the late Byzantine era.

Ottoman Era

The

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

first captured the city in 1387. Kavala remained a part of the

until 1912. In 1519 ( Hijri 925) the town was directly owned by the Sultan as a hass, and had 22 Muslim and 61 Christian households. In the 16th century, Ibrahim Pasha,

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

, contributed to the town's prosperity and growth by reconstructing the late Roman (1st – 6th century AD) aqueduct. The Ottomans also extended the

fortress on the hill of ''Panagia''. Both landmarks are among the most recognizable symbols of the city today.

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, the founder of a

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

that ruled

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, moved with his family from

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

to Kavala in the Rumelia Eyalet when he was young. His father, an Albanian tobacco and shipping merchant, served as an Ottoman commander of a small unit in Kavala. Muhammad Ali emerged as an Ottoman commander in this city before establishing his dynasty in Egypt. His house has been preserved as a museum.

20th century

Kavala was captured by the

Bulgarian Army The Bulgarian Army (), also called Bulgarian Armed Forces, is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in ...

in the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...

and then captured again by the Greek Navy during the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...

and was incorporated into Greece with the Treaty of Bucharest. In August 1916 remnants of the IV Army Corps, stationed at Kavala under Ioannis Hatzopoulos surrendered to the advancing

Bulgarian army The Bulgarian Army (), also called Bulgarian Armed Forces, is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in ...

. These events provoked a military revolt in

, which led to the establishment of the Provisional Government of National Defence, and eventually Greece's entry into the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The Bulgarian occupation of the city lasted from August 1916 until September 1918. Hundreds of victims and eye-witnesses testified about the Bulgarian atrocities in the post-war inter-Allied interrogatory committee, which finally gave its report on 21 April 1919, after ''

in situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...

'' examination of the circumstances. After the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, the city entered a new era of prosperity because of the labor offered by the thousands of refugees that moved to the area from

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. The development was both industrial and agricultural. Kavala became greatly involved and developed further in the processing and trading of tobacco. Many buildings related to the storage and processing of tobacco from that era are preserved in the city. During the

Interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

and the

Second Hellenic Republic The Second Hellenic Republic is a modern Historiography, historiographical term used to refer to the Greece, Greek state during a period of republican governance between 1924 and 1935. To its contemporaries it was known officially as the Hellenic ...

, Kavala was the 4th largest city in Greece (after Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras). In 1934 Dimitrios Partsalidis was elected mayor of Kavala, the first communist mayor in modern Greek history. The city gained temporarily by the Press, the nickname "Little Moscow". During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and after the

Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...

, Bulgaria occupied the city again, following the German invasion (April 1941). During the Bulgarian occupation (1941–1944), almost the entire Jewish community of the city was deported, turned over to German authorities and exterminated in the

Treblinka Treblinka () was the second-deadliest extermination camp to be built and operated by Nazi Germany in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the Treblinka, ...

death camp as part of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. Following the years after the

, the city faced economic decline and emigration. In the late 1950s, Kavala expanded towards the sea by reclaiming land from the area west of the port. In 1967, King Constantine II left Athens for Kavala in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a counter-coup against the

military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...

21st century

On July 16, 2022, Meridian Flight 3032 crashed nearby. The Ukrainian-registered Antonov An-12BK was carrying 11.5 tons of ammunition from

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

when the plane began to lose altitude over the Aegean and turned around, but went down 35 kilometers west of Kavala Airport. All 8 crew members were killed.

Historical population

Administration

Municipality

The municipality of Kavala was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the two former municipalities, which became municipal units: The municipality has an area of . The population of the new municipality was 70,501 in 2011. Based on the 2021 censusΑπογραφή πληθυσμου 2021
/ref> the population is 66,376 . The seat of the municipality is in Kavala. Some of the most important communities inside new municipality are:

Subdivisions (districts)

Kavala is built amphitheatrically, with most residents enjoying superb views of the coast and sea. Some of the areas inside Kavala are:

Main streets

*Poulidou Street *Ethikis Antistaseos Avenue *Omonoias Street *Pipinou *Katsoni *Votsi *Kimonos *Dragoumi *Drakontos *Viktoros Hugo *Konstantinidi *Komninon *Kountourioti *Ermionis *Filikis Eterias *Venizelou *Anthemiou

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Kavala is twinned with:

Partnerships

Province

The province of Kavala () was one of the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

of the Kavala Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Kavala, and part of the municipal unit Eleftheroupoli. It was abolished in 2006.

Economy

Traditionally the primary occupation of the population of Kavala was fishing. The fishermen of the town were well known all over northern Greece. After the country's industrialization, Kavala also became a center of the

tobacco industry The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...

in northern Greece. The building of the Municipal Tobacco Warehouse (1910) still stands today. Oil deposits were found outside the city in the 1970s and are currently being exploited by two oil rigs (Prinos and Epsilon).

Climate

Kavala has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Csa'') that borders on both a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

in the city's airport area and a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

in the city center (

: ''BSk, Cfa'') with annual average precipitation of falling in the airport of Chrysoupoli. Snowfalls are sporadic, but happen more or less every year. The humidity is always moderate to high. The absolute maximum temperature ever recorded was , while the absolute minimum ever recorded was .

Education and research

* The International Hellenic University (IHU; Greek: Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος) has five departments in Kavala (Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Management Science and Technology, Accounting and Information Systems). The campus of the institute located in St. Lukas, Kavala and is approximately 132,000 m² with buildings covering an area of 36,000 m². * MSc in Management and Information Systems * Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) is one of the five specialized research institutes of N.AG.RE.F, being responsible to conduct research and to promote technological development in the fishery sector. The institute is located from Kavala, in

Nea Peramos Nea Peramos (), before the 1990s ''Megalo Pefko'' (), is a suburb and a former municipality in West Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Megara, of which it is a municipal unit. Geography Nea Pe ...

, at the center of a marine area with rich fishery grounds and high biodiversity in the surrounding lagoons, lakes, and rivers. * Institute of Mohamed Ali for the Research of the Eastern Tradition (IMARET) is a registered NGO with the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was established by concerned citizens in Kavala. Its aims include the study of the Egyptian influence in Greece and vice versa. The intra-cultural exchange and dialogue, as well as the promotion of art as a means of intra-cultural understanding. The first major co-operation partner is Cultnat of Bibliotheca Alexandrina with the aim of documenting and digitizing the architectural heritage of the Mohamed Ali era in

and Greece. The most important event that takes place every year at the institute is the International Roman Law Moot Court Competition. * Historical & Literary Archives of Kavala is a non-profiteering, public utility foundation. Its foundation was not subsidized by the Greek State, either by any other enterprise of the private sector. Its operational cost is covered only by its founders and by infrequent aids of the local self-government. * Egnatia Aviation is a private training college for pilots that started training in Greece in July 2006. The facilities of Egnatia Aviation are mostly located in the former passengers' terminal of the Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great".

Culture

Festivals and events

Kavala hosts a wide array of cultural events, which mostly take place during the summer months. One of the top festivals is the Festival of

which lasts from July to September and includes theatrical performances and music concerts. Since 1957, it has been the city's most important cultural event and one of the most important of Greece. Kavala AirSea Show is also an annual air show held in late June. "Cosmopolis" is an international festival held in the Old Town of Kavala that offers an acquaintance with cultures around the world through dancing and musical groups, traditional national cuisines, cinema, and exhibits at the kiosks of participant countries. The first festival took place in 2000, and from 2002 until 2009 was organized annually. It was revived in 2016 with a participation of 250 artists and musicians from all over the world. Yiannis Papaioannou's Festival includes concerts and music seminars. "Ilios kai Petra" (Sun and Stone) (July) is a festival held in "Akontisma" of Nea Karvali. The event is of folkloric character, with the participation of traditional dancing groups from all over the world. Wood Water Wild Festival is an outdoor activities festival, inspired by nature. It includes live bands and DJ sets, body&mind activities, a book fair, outdoor theatre, ecology, camping, and debates. Various cultural events are held in all municipalities of Kavala during the summer months.

In popular culture

*In 1934 Mitsos Partsalidis was elected mayor of Kavala, the first communist mayor in modern Greek history. The city gained temporarily by the press, the nickname "little Moscow". *Among movies shot in the city is '' Topkapi'' (1964), partially shot in Kavala.

Cuisine

Fish and seafood, as well as the products of the local livestock breeding and agricultural sectors, are the prevailing elements of Kavala cuisine. In Kavala, the traditional local recipes have been also influenced by the cuisine of the refugees from Pontus and Asia Minor. Fresh fish and seafood, especially sardines,

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

salad (''garidosalata''), mackerel "goúna" (sun-dried mackerel on the grill), kavouropilafo, mussels with rice, herring saganáki, anchovies wrapped in grape leaves, stuffed eggplants and from meat plates, lamb with spinach, are some renowned recipes in Kavala and the coastal settlements of the region. The grapes,

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

, and tsipouro produced in the area, as well as the kourabiedes (sugar-coated almond biscuits) from Nea Karvali, are particularly famous.

Transport

Highway network

European route E90 European route E 90 is an A-Class West–East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish–Iraqi border in the east. It is connected to the M5 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. Itinerary ...

runs through the city and connects Kavala with the other cities. The Egnatia Odos ( A2 motorway) lies north of the city. One can enter the city from one of two junctions: Kavala West and Kavala East. Kavala has regular connection with Interregional Bus Lines (KTEL) from and to Thessaloniki and Athens.

Airport

The Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great" ( from Kavala) is connected with Athens by regularly scheduled flights and with many European cities by scheduled and charter flights.

Port

Kavala is connected with all the islands of the Northern Aegean Sea with frequent itineraries of various ferry lines.

Bus

The city is connected with all of the large Greek cities such as Thessaloniki and Athens. All of the local villages are also connected via bus lines. The cost of tickets is very cheap. There is also a shuttle bus in Kavala with these lines: * Vironas – Kallithea * Dexameni * Cemetery * Kipoupoli – Technological Institute * Agios Loukas * Profitis Ilias * Stadium * Kalamitsa – Batis (only in summer) * Agios Konstantinos * Neapoli * Hospital – Perigiali

Rail

Kavala is not currently connected to the Greek rail network. However, plans exist to build a new

– Xanthi rail line via Kavala, as part of the Egnatia Railway corridor, at a cost of €1.25 billion. In 2019, Hellenic Railways Organisation awarded the contract to build the initial section between Xanthi and Kavala at a cost of €250 million.

Trails

The Kavala Water Trail is a hiking trail that connects the village of Palaia Kavala with the Agios Konstantinos neighborhood of Kavala.

Sports

* Kavala F.C.: AO Kavala (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: Athlitikos Omilos ''Kavala'', Αθλητικός Όμιλος ''Καβάλα''), the ''Athletic Club Kavala'', is a professional association football club based in Kavala. The club plays in the municipal Kavala Stadium "Anthi Karagianni". * Kavala B.C.: Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas ''()'' is a Greek professional basketball club in Kavala. The club is also known as E.K. Kavalas. The club's full Greek name is Ένωση Καλαθοσφαίρισης Καβάλας (Kavala Basketball Union or Kavala Basketball Association). The club competes in the Greek League. * Kavala '86: a women's football club, founded in 1986, with panhellenic titles in Greek women football * Kavala Chess Club:

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

is very popular in Kavala and the local chess club ranks top in Greece, enjoying plenty of success both domestically and internationally. The highlight is the club's annual International Open, which takes place every August in Kavala and attracts the biggest names in chess from all over the globe. * Nautical Club of Kavala (1945, Ναυτικός Ομιλος Καβάλας, ΝΟΚ): maritime sports (swimming, yachting, water polo) * Kavala Table Tennis Club (ΑΣΕΑ Καβάλας):

table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

* Kavala Titans (2009, Τιτάνες Καβάλας):

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

Ecclesiastical history

Neapolis was important enough in the Late

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

of Macedonia Prima to be a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

of its capital

's Metropolitan Archbishopric into the frames of the Greek – Christian eastern church. In the 8th century A.D. refers for the first time a bishopric of Christoupolis and later, between 886 – 912, during the reign of the emperor Leo the Wise, Christoupolis is mentioned as one of the six bishoprics of the metropolis of Philippi. Only later, in 1260, Christoupolis became a metropolis itself. After the liberation of the city of Kavala by the Greek army during the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...

, the local church was re-established under the official title "Metropolis of Philippi, Neapolis and Thasos" till nowadays. Metropolis of Kavala established a conference center dedicated to Saint Paul, in the village of Lydia, near the spot where, according to tradition, Paul baptized saint Lydia, in the river Zygaktis. In the same spot, Metropolis established a unique open-air baptistery as well as a unique octagonal baptistery, with mosaic and stained glass decoration, the only such temple in Greece.

Titular see

The diocese of Christopolis was nominally restored in 1933 as a Latin Catholic

titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

. There is also a Catholic church in the city ("Saint Paul", in the building of the old Lazarist monastery). It is vacant, having had the following, far from consecutive, incumbents of the lowest (episcopal) rank, ''except the latest (archiepiscopal, intermediary rank)'': * Jean Isembert,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

(O.P.) (1450.05.11 – 1465.09.08) * Jaime Perez de Valencia, Augustinian Order (O.E.S.A.) (1468.10.01 – 1490.08.03) * Ausiás Carbonell, O.P. (1509.04.16 – 1532.12.09) * Enrique Rutil (1525.11.10 – ?) *

Bishop-elect A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

Francisco de Jaén (1530.12.05 – ?) * Francisco Estaña (1534.12.16 – 1549.06.23) * Gian Antonio Fassano (1544.06.04 – 1568.09.10) * Juan Segría (1547.11.28 – 1568.07.23) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

(Spain) (1547.11.28 – 1568.07.23); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Sassari Sassari ( ; ; ; ) is an Italian city and the second-largest of Sardinia in terms of population with 120,497 inhabitants as of 2025, and a functional urban area of about 260,000 inhabitants. One of the oldest cities on the island, it contains ...

(Sardinia, Italy) (1568.07.23 – death 1569.09.26), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

(Sicily, Italy) (1569.09.26 – 1569 not possessed) * Pedro Coderos (1570.02.20 – 1579.10.21) as Auxiliary Bishop of

(Spain) (1570.02.20 – 1579.10.21); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Otranto Otranto (, , ; ; ; ; ) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). ...

(Italy) (1579.10.21 – 1585) * Marcin Szyszkowski (1603.11.24 – 1604.06) * Ludovico de Taragni,

Benedictine Order The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

(O.S.B.) (1612.03.21 – ?) * Michael Chumer,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...

(O.F.M.) (1639.10.03 – 1651.06.30) * Maxime Tessier (1951.05.28 – 1955.05.08) * Otto Spülbeck (1955.06.28 – 1958.06.23) * Michael William Hyle (1958.07.03 – 1960.03.02) * Titular Archbishop Sante Portalupi (1961.10.14 – 1984.03.31), papal diplomat

Media

*TV: ENA Channel, Center TV *Newspapers: '' Proini'', '' Kavala (newspaper)'', ''Chronometro'' *Online
Kavala.com

Postage stamps

Austria opened a post office in Kavala before 1864.Handbook of Austria and Lombardy-Venetia Cancellations on the Postage Stamp Issues 1850–1864, by Edwin MUELLER, 1961, p.215 Between 1893 and 1903, the French post office in the city issued its own postage stamps; at first stamps of France

overprint An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a Postage stamp, postage or revenue stamp, postal stationery, banknote or Ticket (admission), ticket after it has been Printing, printed. Post offices most often use ...

ed with "Cavalle" and a value in piasters, then in 1902 the French designs inscribed "CAVALLE".

Consulates

In the past the city hosted consulates from different European countries. Currently hosts

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a h ...

from the following countries: *

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Notable figures

* , Greek rebel in the Greek Revolution (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire * Muhammad Ali Pasha of Kavala, the Albanian

Wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...

(governor) of

between 1805 and 1848 and founder of the modern state of Egypt *

Mohamed Sherif Pasha Mohamed Sherif Pasha GCSI (February 1826 – 20 April 1887) () was an Egyptian statesman. He served as Prime Minister of Egypt three times during his career. His first term was between 7 April 1879 and 18 August 1879. His second term was served ...

, Prime Minister of Egypt * Tryfon Alexiadis, politician * Evangelia Balta, historian * Christos Batzios, actor and filmmaker * Anna-Maria Botsari, chess player * Vassilis Daniil, football coach * Pavlos Dermitzakis, football coach * Periklis Drakos, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle and Balkan Wars * Nasos Galakteros, basketball player * Giorgos Georgiadis, footballer * Anna Gerasimou, tennis player * Nikos Karageorgiou (born 1962), football manager * Anthi Karagianni, silver medalist in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games; the city's Municipal stadium is named after her * Theodore Kavalliotis, Greek Orthodox priest, teacher and a figure of the Greek Enlightenment * Vasilis Karras, singer * Kostas Mitroglou, footballer * Leontios Petmezas, theorist, art historian, book critic, author and journalist * Yiannis Papaioannou, composer * Dimitris Paridis, footballer * Mitsos Partsalidis, first elected communist mayor in modern Greek history, on 1 April 1934 * Betty Robbins, cantor * Sofoklis Schortsanitis, basketball player * Giannis Stoforidis, kickboxer * Christos Terzanidis, footballer * Lefteris Topalidis, footballer * Antigone Valakou, actress * Despina Vandi, singer * Anna Verouli, 1982 Gold Medalist, European Championship, javelin thrower * Vassilis Vassilikos, writer and diplomat * Zisis Vryzas (born 1973), former footballer * Theodoros Zagorakis (born 27 October 1971), former footballer, captain of national team of Greece, European Champions 2004 * Damianos Zarifis, scenic and costume designer * FORG1VEN, professional League of Legends player * Chris Pantazidis, footballer

Gallery

File:Macedonian Museums-29-Arx Kavalas-488.jpg, Α painted cist grave votive funerary banquet, 4th century BC ( Archaeological Museum of Kavala) File:View of Kavala from the ancient Via Egnatia.jpg, view of Kavala from the ancient Via Egnatia File:Καβάλα - Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης - panoramio (23).jpg, Statue of

Muhammad Ali of Egypt Muhammad Ali (4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849) was the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Albanians, Albanian viceroy and governor who became the ''de facto'' ruler of History of Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty, Egypt from 1805 to 1848, widely consi ...

, donation of Egypt (sculpt.

Konstantinos Dimitriadis Konstantinos Dimitriadis (Κωνσταντίνος Δημητριάδης) (1879 or 1881 - 28 October 1943) was a Greek sculptor who won a gold medal at the art competitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics for his sculpture ''Finnish discus thrower' ...

) File:Alexander the Great monument Kavala.jpg, Alexander the Great monument file:Ilarion Karatzoglou bust.jpg, Bust of Ilarion Karatzoglou File:Konstantinos Kanaris Kavala Bust.jpg, Bust of Konstantinos Kanaris File:Καμάρες.jpg, Panoramic view File:Καβάλα - Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης - panoramio.jpg, View of the Kavala aqueduct File:Kavala old town .jpg, Kavala old town File:Kavala old town, view from the castle.jpg, Kavala old town, view from the castle File:Municipal Tobacco Warehouse - Kavala.jpg, Municipal Tobacco Warehouse (1910, arch. Eli Modiano) in Kapnergati Square File:Macedonian Museums-31-Dimotiko Kavalas-137.jpg, Kavala Municipal Museum File:Chamber of Commerce - Kavala.jpg, Chamber of Commerce File:Greek community club - Kavala.jpg, ''Megali Leschi'' (1909) File:Main memorial monument of Kavala.jpg, main memorial monument of Kavala File:20160513 136 kavala.jpg, Katsoni Street at the old town File:Kavala holocaust memorial.jpg, Holocaust memorial File:Имарет в Кавала.jpg, Imaret hotel File:Kalamitsa beach Kavala.jpg, kalamitsa beach File:Kalamitsa beach, Kavala.jpg, Kalamitsa beach of Kavala File:Natatoriumkav.jpg, Municipal swimming pool

References

* Bibliography * Koukouli-Chrisanthaki Chaido, Kavala. Αrchaeological Museum of Kavala, Kavala: D.E.T.A., 2002 (in English). * Stefanidou Emilia, The City-Port of Kavala during the Period of Turkish Rule. An Urban Survey (1391–1912), Kavala: Historical & Literary Archive of Kavala, 2007 (in Greek). * Karagiannakidis Nikos – Likourinos Kyriakos, Neapolis-Christoupolis-Kavala, Kavala: Municipality of Kavala, 2009 (in Greek). * Koutzakiotis Georges, Cavalla, une Échelle égéenne au XVIIIe siècle. Négociants européens et notables ottomans, Istanbul: The Isis Press, 2009. * Roudometof Nikolaos (ed.), Notebooks of Bulgarian Occupation. Eastern Macedonia 1916–1918. v. 1, Kavala – Chrisoupoli – Eleutheroupoli, Kavala: Historical & Literary Archive of Kavala (in Greek). * Stavridou-Zafraka Alkmene, The development of the theme organization in Macedonia, in Byzantine Macedonia: Identity, Image and History, edited by J. Burke, R. Scott, Brill, 2000, p. 128 – 138.

External links

* *
Official website
(in Greek)
The official website of the prefecture of Kavala – online since 1996

Official Blog of students of ATEI Kavalas

sun disappeared – Fire Kavala 1985

The ultimate guide about Kavala and Thassos
{{Authority control Greek prefectural capitals Municipalities of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Christopolis Fortified settlements Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Provinces of Greece Port cities of the Aegean Sea Pauline churches Populated places in Kavala (regional unit) Populated places established in the 7th century BC