The Blue City!

 The most characteristic monument of Kavala is the large, arched aqueduct, known by the name “Kamares” (Arches), with a length of 270 m and a maximum height of 25 m. In the early 16th century, the arid peninsula of Panagia found a water supply in the streams that ran from the area of Old Kavala. The source of this water, which is located at an altitude of 400 m, is known as “the mother of the water”, “Soubasi” or the “three Karagatsia”. The Kamares in their present form date to the early 16th century and are attributed to Ibrahim Pasha, the vezir of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. They were built in 1520-1530, a period during which many infrastructure works were carried out in Kavala, with the aim of reconstructing the city after the destruction of 1391.

The Kamares are a huge structure, out of proportion to the size of the then insignificant settlement. It is believed that there had been a Roman aqueduct on this same spot, over the ruins of which the Kamares were built. This old aqueduct supplied water to the town of Kavala through the region of Suyol (su-yol: “waterway”) until the early decades of the 20th century. The Kamares are no longer of vital importance, but they maintain their beauty and grandeur and are a landmark of the town.

 The Halil Bey Mosque is located at the centre of the peninsula, near the Castle and on roads that lead to the acropolis and the gates of the peninsula walls. It is believed that the mosque was built during the reconstruction of the town, in around 1530.

Excavations by the 12th Ephorate of Byzantine antiquities have uncovered the first Christian house of worship in the walled city on this spot, namely the three-aisled Early Christian Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi (the remains of which can be seen through the glass floor of the mosque), as well as a small Byzantine-era cemetery. In the early centuries of Ottoman rule it was common practice for mosques to be built on the site of churches or for churches to be converted into mosques.

The mosque was part of a larger complex that also contained a madrasa (a seminary with eight rooms for the students), which also survives in a good condition.

In the early 20th century a girls’ primary school was also housed in the complex. From 1930-1940 the mosque housed the Municipality’s orchestra and so gained the name of “Music Mosque”. Today it is known as “Palia Mousiki”, that means Old Music.

After restoration and conversion work carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities and the Municipality of Kavala, the space has now been opened to the public and it hosts many exhibitions and events both within the building and in its forecourt. The madrasa is host to folklore collections, social services and “To Kastro”, the cultural association of the district of Panagia.