The Byzantine Anastasioupolis

The ruins of the fortified city of the early Christian and Byzantine period are near the village of Amaxades. Initially, in the 6th century, it was called Anastasioupolis after the emperor Anastasios I, who took over the fortification of the city. During the 9th century it was renamed Peritheorion. During the Ottoman occupation the castle was also known as Bourou Kale. In the Roman period the point was a station on the Via Egnatia and was called Stabulo Diomedis. This name of course refers to Diomedes and his carnivorous horses according to the eighth labor of Heracles. 

Today the fortification enclosure is not so well preserved but its towers, some circular and others quadrangular, are in good condition. In the walls there are successive phases but also repairs, as shown by the different techniques. This is supported by historical sources as well as brick monograms, such as those of the Palaeologan emperors who repaired the walls. The location of the city was of strategic importance, as it is in the center of the fertile plain, on the Via Egnatia and within walking distance from the port. On the south side, was the main gate from which the large towers are preserved, but not the arch. An important year for the city and its castle was 1203 when the Bulgarian ruler Ioannis Asen or Skylogiannis destroyed it. It was repaired by Andronikos III Palaiologos in 1341 and withstood attacks until it fell to the Ottomans. 

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Egnatia Motorway S.A.

Hellenic Observation Center (video)