Halkidiki History

Even though spectacular beaches, luxury hotels and uncomparable nightlife have made it famous, the archaeological findings found across it testify the long and rich history of Halkidiki.

Ancient times

According to mythology, Halkidiki was the place where a huge battle took place, opposing Zeus and the other Olympian Gods to the Giants, children of Gaea and Uranus. Enceladus, the leader of the Giants, was buried alive in Kassandra and, since he sometimes tries to escape from his tomb, he is the reason for earthquakes. The peninsula of Kassandra took its name from Cassander, the king of Macedonia from 305 BC to 297 BC. Sithonia was named after Sithon, the king of Thrace and son of Poseidon or Ares, and Mount Athos owes its name to the giant Athos, who threw a large rock at the gods of Olympus but missed, and that's how the third peninsula of Halkidiki was created.

Excavations at the Petralona Cave have proved that human life existed in Halkidiki even 700,000 years ago. Its oldest inhabitants were the Thracians and the Pelasgians. Organized societies, such as Olynthos, Acanthus and the ancient city of Stagira, near Olympiada, flourished in the west and central Halkidiki around the 4th century BC. Temples were also built, such as the sanctuary of Ammon Zeus. During the 5th century, Halkidiki took part in the Persian Wars, which resulted in the terrible siege of Ancient Olynthos.

After the victory of the Greeks in Salamina (in 480 BC) and the original defeat of the Persians from central Greece, the inhabitants of the two big cities of Olynthos and Potidea revolted too against the enemy and drove them out of their land. After the Persian Wars, the big cities of Halkidiki became members of the Athenian Alliance and participated in the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC), which led to the destruction of a powerful town of Halkidiki, ancient Mende. In 348 BC, Halkidiki became a part of the Macedonian kingdom under Philip's control. With Alexander the Great, the cities of Halkidiki increased in number. Among the new were Thessaloniki, Cassandria, Ouranoupolis, and Antigonia, north of modern Nea Kallikrateia. In 168 BC, Halkidiki came under Roman domination.

Medieval times

In the 9th century AD, the first monastery was built on the peninsula of Athos. In the 11th century, Athos was given the name Agion Oros (Holy Mountain) by a decree of a Byzantine emperor. The Byzantines also built many castles and fortresses to protect the area from invasions. Such an architectural example is the Prosforio Tower in Ouranoupolis. However, in 1430, the Turks took Halkidiki from the Venetians. The first call for freedom was made in May 1821 at Poligiros, Karyes, and Kassandra. Some revolution attempts took place in various parts of Halkidiki but were stopped by the Turks.

Recent years

In the early 20th century, many of the inhabitants of Halkidiki joined the forces of Pavlos Melas and other fighters for freedom. Finally, Halkidiki was set free of the Turks in 1912 and became part of the Greek province of Macedonia. In 1921, Greek refugees from Asia Minor (after the Asia Minor catastrophe), Eastern Thrace and Bulgaria moved to Halkidiki, bringing a new economic and political strength. They founded about 30 new villages and small towns, such as Nea Phokea, Nea Skioni, and Nea Moudiana.
Today, Halkidiki is a vivid area that keeps its history alive, in the memory of its people and the historical monuments spread along its countryside.