Sights Kastoria, Greece

Kastoria - one of the oldest cities in Western Macedonia, was founded in 840 BC, although other sources say the first of its residents came here in the XX century BC headed by the first polumifologicheskim king - God Kekropom, with the human body and serpentine legs.

By order of Kekropa was built "kekropova wall, obstruct the only passage to the Kastoriysky Peninsula meets the legendary lake Orestiada, named in honor of the Hellenic leader Orestes Argosskogo (Southern Greece), persecuted doryanami still XI - X centuries BC

Based destruction later "kekropovoy Wall in 525 AD by order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I built a fortress wall and tower structures, as Kastoria city during the Byzantine Empire (III - IV century AD) - was the western bastion of Byzantium.

According to legend, Castor - son of Olympian Zeus lived on Mount gray-haired Seli (1700 m) and every morning, looked in the mirror smooth lake Orestiada before you come to the symposium to the father of Olympian Zeus.

By svidedetelstvam Roman historian Titus - Libya and Procopius in ancient times the city was called Keletron and for some time Diakletyanopol.

However, the medieval version of the name of the city linked to the dwelling of a large number of beavers in the lake and in the translation from the ancient Greek language "Castor" - a beaver.

Here was born the great tradition of the first furriers in manufacturing fur garments, which along with the spiritual heritage of the Byzantine era has brought the city of Kastoria worldwide fame.

The city survived more than 72 churches and Byzantine periods poslevizantiyskogo with rare frescoes of the Cretan school of art which refers to Theophanes the Greek.

The most popular temple of the Holy Mother of God Mavriotisy (XI cent.) Lake Orestiada at millennial sycamore, under the rustling of the leaves of which predicted pythoness human destiny, but the leather-peredovaemoe skills from one generation to reach a true art.

Today Kastoria - ancient capital of the furriers is an international exhibition center of fur products.