The geographical location, the natural port and the location of Kavala close to Mount Paggaio made the city one of the oldest ones in the region. It is the capital of the Kavala prefecture.
In ancient times, it was called Neapolis (new town) and in Byzantine times Christoupolis (town of Christ). Since 1470, it has had its current name. It has one of the largest passenger ports (Apostolos Pavlos) as well as one of the most important commercial ports (Philipos II). It also hosts an International Airport (Alexander the Great) and is the headquarters of the Diocese of Philippi, Neapolis and Thassos. The city is built amphitheatrically at the foot of Mount Symbol. In the wider area, Paul spread Christianity in Europe (49 AD) and baptized the first European Christian.
The history of Kavala dates to prehistoric times. After the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), Greek refugees from Eastern Thrace, Eastern Romilia and Asia Minor settled in the city. Along with their traditions, they brought along tobacco cultivation, an activity which led the city to great economic development.
Important sites by historical periods include the Ottoman Ibrahim Pasha Mosque, which was converted into the orthodox church of St. Nikolaos, the Halil Bey Mosque, the Kavala Imaret, the Mehmet Ali Pasha Mansion, the Kavala Fortress, Kamares, which used to be the old aqueduct of the city, the 5th Kavala High School, built by the Turkish tobacco merchant Patsatzik, and many more.
Kavala, as a city of tobacco processing, hosts several tobacco warehouses, such as the Municipal Tobacco Warehouse, which is part of the Ottoman building complex, the Austro-Greek Complex, the Shopping Center of Kavala, which is also an ex-tobacco warehouse, the Big Club, the Old Town Hall (Tokos Mansion), the City Hall of Kavala, the Vix Mansion and others.
The Catholic Church of Apostle Paul-Lazaristes Monastery, the Cathedral of Timios Prodromos-Agios Ioannis and several museums, such as the Archaeological Museum, the Historical and Folklore Museum, the Museum of Refugee Hellenism, the Municipal Tobacco Museum, the Naval Museum of Kavala, and more are also very interesting.
Kavala is the birthplace of Vassilis Vassilikos, Greek writer of the political novel Z, and of Olympic javelin thrower Anna Verouli.
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