The bright sun blinds the eyes, reflected in the intricate mosaic of tile, its rays are tangled in the emerald branches of the olive tree and are lost in the depths of the azure abyss, appearing in all its unabashed power . A tired traveler moves along the wide path laid out by huge white slabs . Person its weathering, the skin has a bronze hue from the constant sunny caress, clothes smelled of winds, roads and showers, the look is piercing and clear as the sky, high dome curving over the Roman colonial town . Behind the traveler dense structure Silently glancing ahead with heavy glances, clouds of dust rising with lead tread, pilgrims are walking . On the calendar of the year 49 from the birth of Christ . Apostle Pavel entered the city of Philippi, now a city museum, a monastery of monuments of ancient Greek architecture, in which a huge number of temples, basilicas, sanctuaries ...
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How to get there
Getting to the Philip's museum complex turned into a museum complex can be by bus from the colorful port city of Kavala, which is 12 km away, or from the city of Drama, having overcome 19 km. The nearest airport that receives flights from Russia is Thessaloniki. The best option is to take a sightseeing tour from Thessaloniki or Chalkidiki, the program of which usually combines visits to three important for this part of Greece and unique places: Kavala, Amphipolis and Filippy.
Search for tickets to the city of Thessaloniki (the nearest airport to Philippi)
A bit of history
Earlier the Roman colony, drowning in cypress gardens and rich in ore, warmed the Macedonian king Philip II and did everything to turn it into a developed center of trade and culture. Since the day when the city was visited by the apostle, a series of bright events changed the course of the history of world religion.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions in Philippi
The first Christian church in Europe erected on the initiative of the mistress of the shop Lydia, who sheltered the apostle Paul at not the best times for him, was built here, attracting curious believers from all over the world.
The most valuable early Christian basilicas of Greece are concentrated in the "Gates of Europe and Asia", in ancient times the Greeks called Philippi, in the guise of which different epochs had time to leave their mark: Hellenistic, Roman, Christian. Until now, excavations have been carried out here, as a result of which the treasury of exhibits of world archeology is constantly replenished.
Central Egnatieva road, by the fragments of which, and now you can repeat the path of the apostle Paul, divides the city into two parts. In the north there is an agora forum, in other words an ancient shopping center with shops, galleries, baths, filled with a couple of thousands of years ago by the crowd homo, aromas of spices, fruits, coffee and fried cakes, abuse of traders and loud women arguing about quality olives, and now enjoying the silence and clatter of the camera shutters.
Right in the center of the city one of the very first basilicas of Philip was erected, whose greatness can be judged by the remains of imposing walls covered with lining and molding. Another early Christian temple, Octagon, dedicated to the apostle Paul and dating from the 5th century, lies just south of it. And then there were ruins at the beginning of the era that served as the walls of the prison of the apostle Paul, imprisoned at the direction of the governor of the city, immediately miraculously released and continuing to preach the new world religion and carry the inhabitants of the Word of God.
Partially preserved Roman theater, later redesigned in arena. Curious events take place every summer within the framework of the Philippe-Thassos festival on a large stone platform that transforms into a colorful scene. The architecture of the acropolis (the upper part of the city) is a cocktail of Byzantine style, elements of Roman paganism and Christian cemetery basilicas. They are carefully guarded from the encroachments of tourists by the "Butzefal creche", the legendary horse of Alexander the Great.
The oratorical place of Pavel's teacher was immortalized by the Greeks building a cumbersome temple with eight corners and mosaics laid out by the architect Vlasis Tsotsonis, as well as glass panels performed by Meropi Prek. The city is impregnated with history, antiquity and Christian culture, from 8.00 to 20.00
Kavala
Kavala is a cozy Greek city attracting tourists with its main attractions - the former home of the founder of the Egyptian dynasty of Mohammed Ali, the Church of the Blessed Virgin and St. Silla. The local museum features rare archaeological exhibits of East Macedonia and Thrace.