Everything about Serres totally explained
Sérres or
Sérrhae (
Greek: Σέρρες, older form: Σέρραι), is a city in
Macedonia,
Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the
Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital,
Thessaloniki. The
Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city. The city is the capital of the homonymous
prefecture of
Serres and is situated in the
Central Macedonia periphery. Its population was 56,145 in
2001.
History
Known to the
Romans as
Serrae or
Serrhae, Serres became the site of a major fortress built by the
Byzantine Empire to guard the empire's northern frontier and the strategic
Rupel Pass into
Bulgaria. It was seized by the
Bulgarians in the
10th century. In 1196 in the
battle of Serres the Byzantines were defeated by the Bulgarian Emperor
Ivan Asen I. Nine years later in 1205 the Bulgarian Emperor
Kaloyan defeated here an army of the
Latin Empire and incorporated the town in the
Bulgarian Empire. In 1256 it was captured by the
Nicaean Empire. Serres fell to
Serbia in the 1345 and became a capital of
Stefan Dušan, the Serbian
King. Dušan was so satisfied with the hard siege of the third Byzantine city that he crowned himself Emperor of Serbs and Greeks. After his death the Empire fell apart into feudal anarchy and the Empress Consort Hellen continued to govern Serres area from 1356, but already in 1365 she was ousted by Despot
Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević, who forged a tiny but powerful mini-state in Serres. After the 1371
Battle of Maritsa, the Byzantines returned Serres to their control. However already in 1383 the
Ottomans conquered it. In the early
20th century, the city became a focus of anti-Ottoman unrest, which resulted in the
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising of 1903. A
Bulgarian army captured Serres in the
First Balkan War of 1913, but was forced to withdraw by Greek forces in the
Second Balkan War. The city had to be completely rebuilt after being burned to the ground by the retreating Bulgarians. It was reoccupied by Bulgaria in both the
First World War and
Second World War and suffered further severe damage. Since the war, Serres has benefited from government-led programmes to develop its economy with foreign capital.
Economy
Serres is the capital of a primarily agricultural district and is an important trade centre for
tobacco,
grain, and
livestock. Following the development of a government-sponsored manufacturing area in the late 20th century, it has also become a centre for the production of
textiles and other manufactured items.
Landmarks
The city has forests, parks, non-gridded roads and squares. Serres stretches from the ruins of the castle up to the forested hills of Koula. On the road to
Koula hills on Exochon (Exochi) Street, two parks, one is the Agioi Anargyroi Park founded near the downtown area. Night clubs and cafeterias are popular attractions, especially in the summertime.
Cuisine
In Serres,
gyros and
souvlaki are standard forms of
Greek cuisine served in many restaurants and taverns. One delicacy that's truly unique to the region is
akanes, which is a type of gourmet candy delight prepared according to a secret recipe since the beginning of the 20th century by the Roumbos family. Allegedly, Aristeidis Roumbos, the confectioner who invented this candy, disclosed the recipe to one of his loyal trainees, who then proceeded to establish a rival akanes business. Nevertheless, the Roumbos family, to this day, continues to produce this delight in their quaint workshop, which is reminiscent of life in the 1950s.
Neighborhoods
Katakonozi is one of the most prosperous neighborhoods of the city, and it's currently experiencing a real estate boom.
Historical population
| Year |
Population |
Change |
| 1981 |
46,317 |
- |
| 1991 |
49,830 |
+3,513 (+7.58%) |
| 2001 |
56,145 |
+6,315 (+12.67%) |
Famous People
Emmanouel Pappas, Leader of the Greek War of Independence in Macedonia
Efstathios Tavlaridis Soccer Player
Giorgos Kapoutzidis (1972) Scriptwriter and Actor
Glykeria, Singer
Angelos Charisteas, Soccer Player
Sporting teams
Panserraikos - second division (2006-07 season) Website
Ofka Serres - Omilos Filon Klassikou Athlitismou) (External Link)Further Information
Get more info on 'Serres'.
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