Varosi
According to the archaeological research so far, Edessa was fortified on two levels. In the lower city (Loggos) and the acropolis. During Byzantine times, life in the lower city declined and was organized into a settlement on the acropolis (upper city – current location).
The nickname of the city “Theofrouritos Castle of Bodena” is not known.After the fall of the city, in 1389, the “castle of the Bodena” was destroyed and the settlement expanded outside the walls, creating new districts mainly of other religions, while the Christians remained in and around the oldest core, distributed in three large districts.
Varosi is the first Christian quarter to be created, as a development of the Byzantine settlement that developed in the area of the acropolis and the ancient city.In 1944 the Germans (Nazis) burned most of the district because its location served as a center for resistance fighters who could easily escape to the plain.
Recently there has been restoration of Varosi houses based on the Varosi regeneration study. It should be noted that this particular study received the 1st prize from the EU in 1990.Varosi is the only nucleus that has been saved from the historical center of Edessa, carrying memories of the city.
Text by Eleni Giantsi
Photos by Eleni Ntouvaleti
