Castle City of Ioannina

At the southeastern end of the city of Ioannina, a unique castle city is preserved until today, a reference point of the city, inextricably linked to the rich history of the region. It is the oldest Byzantine castle in Greece, with an uninterrupted history as it is one of the few castles in Greece that is still inhabited to this day.

Pass the Grand Gate with the coat of arms of Ali Pasha, and move on to another era, when the castle was the largest administrative center of the whole area. Here the Greek letters were developed, here the great teachers of the Nation taught, here the great chiefs studied the art of war. Here lived Ali Pasha, this emblematic and enigmatic figure of the Ottoman Empire with his great love with the lady-Basilica but also the murder of Mrs.-Frosini, his son’s mistress.

According to historical testimonies, the imposing castle of Ioannina was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, in 528 AD, as part of the plan for the fortification of the Byzantine state, an ambitious event of the state Byzantine Empire. The current form of the Castle is for the most part a work of the Ottoman Empire, with integrated older Byzantine building phases. The area within its walls is about 200 acres.