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Learn about this beautiful place and the activities you can enjoy there.
Chara N.

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βόρεια τζουμέρκα

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Δήμος Βόρειων Τζουμέρκων

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Δήμος Βόρειων Τζουμέρκων

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While visiting Ioannina you should definitely stop by the museum of Vrellis and admire the magnificent life sized wax effigies the museum displays.

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Ioannina is a town of approximately 100.000 residents, in the north western part of Greece. Despite the fact that it is a small town it is one of the most lively places in our country! Ioannina has a lake and inside the lake there is a small island with permanent residents (this island is one of the very few in Europe that are inhabited). In general, Ioannina is a wonderful place!

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Apostolis N.

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Τα Ιωάννινα απο ψηλά.Μία παραμυθένια πόλη.Υπο των ήχο των VIC.| Ioannina from above.With VIC Music.

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malena

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Stroll around the historic centre

Touched by a plethora of cultures, Ioannina's historic centre, which is strong with Christian, Muslim and Jewish influences, is one of the first things you should explore when you visit. Bars, mezedopoleia (small eateries where smaller portions of food are served) and coffee shops line the streets. After your walk, make sure to drop by Stoa Louli, a former inn turned into a commercial hub where the three cultures worked together. Today, it hosts an excellent restaurant where you can sample the best of local cuisine.
Stoa Louli, Eth. Anexartisias 78, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 071322

Visit the Municipal Ethnographic Museum

To better understand the unique history of the town, head to the Municipal Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina, housed in the 17th-century Aslan Pasha Mosque that lies within the Castle of Ioannina. The museum has a small collection of artefacts such as costumes, pottery, jewellery, photographs and documents from the former synagogue.

Municipal Ethnographic Museum, Noutsou 8, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 026356

Don't forget the Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Ioannina is a must-see. With a collection spanning from the early traces of human presence in Epirus to late Roman times, the museum also features exhibits of archaeological finds from the sanctuary of Dodoni, one of the greatest from ancient times. With a desire to present the region's unique character and history, the museum is definitely a fascinating attraction.

More info

Pop by the castle and the Fethiye Mosque

The castle and Fethiye Mosque are where the Byzantine and Ottoman heritage of the town is the strongest. Located in the historic centre, the Castle of Ioannina, built in 528 AD by Emperor Justinian, is the oldest Byzantine fortress in the country. With time, it became a major intellectual centre of the region, and the Ali Pasha even lived there during his time. The castle features the outer walls; the north-western citadel; the south-eastern citadel, also known as Its Kale and home to the Fethiye Mosque and the tomb of Ali Pasha; and the old town of Ioannina.
Ioannina Castle, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 026356

Discover the local wine tradition at Domaine Glinavos

Although Greek wines may not be renowned abroad, its wine tradition is definitely a good excuse to explore underrated locations. When in Ioannina, make sure to visit Domaine Glinavos, a winery established in 1978 by one of the first oenologists in Greece, Lefteris Glinavos. The winery grows local grapes, such as 'Vlahiko', 'Bekari' and the white 'Debina'. Faithful to the local tradition, Domaine Glinavos produces sparkling and semi-sparkling wines from the Debina variety, as well as dry white wines and even tsipouro. If you love wine, this place is a must-visit.
Domaine Glinavos, Monastiri - Zitsa, Ioannina, Greece, +30 26580 22212

Lunch at Seirios

After a walk along the lake, stop by Seirios, a unique eatery with original dishes - think Greek recipes with a twist. Besides, Seirios has a lovely garden where you can relax and enjoy the sunny days.

Seirios, Evaggelidi 1, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 077070

Have drinks at The Butler

The Butler, a cosy little coffee shop and bar, is conveniently located in the heart of the town. You will surely enjoy the warm and welcoming vibe, as well as the coffee. The menu also includes light snack options, but the best time to visit is in the afternoon, which is when the baristas switch places with mixologists, allowing you to order delicious drinks and cocktails.
The Butler, Sakka 11, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 033923

Get cultural at Technohoros

Want to get a sense of Ioannina's art scene? Then make your way to Technohoros Art Gallery. The venue is an important player in the region's art landscape and actively hosts exhibitions and other cultural events, which cater to everyone.
Technohoros, Zigomalli 16, Ioannina, Greece, +30 2651 031775

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The Best Things to See and Do in Ioannina, Greece

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Touched by a plethora of cultures, Ioannina's historic centre, which is strong with Christian, Muslim and Jewish influences, is one of the first things you should explore when you visit. Bars, mezedopoleia (small eateries where smaller portions of food are served) and coffee shops line the streets.

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That beautiful place is Ioannina.
(George Pliakos)

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Angelos Papagiannis

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A great hotel for our town
Spiros

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malena

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Zagorochoria Greece - Zagorochoria Travel guide | Greeka.com

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Complete Zagorochoria travel guide. Discover the best things to do in Zagorochoria Greece, beautiful beaches, best restaurants, hotels, and breathtaking photos!

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Jim.P

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Katerina

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 Βόρεια Τζουμέρκα

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 Βόρεια Τζουμέρκα

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Γιώργος Σαούγκος

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Elvira P.

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Ioannina a city surrounded by mountains (Bill Papamokos)

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Ioannina a city surrounded by mountains (Bill Papamokos)

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Panoramic view of Ioannina

Bill N.

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Learn about our castle and its history
Chara N.

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The Ioannina Castle ( Greek: Κάστρο Ιωαννίνων) is the fortified old town of the city of Ioannina in northwestern Greece. The present fortification dates largely to the reconstruction under Ali Pasha in the late Ottoman period, but incorporates also pre-existing Byzantine elements.

Ioannina is first definitely mentioned in a 1020 decree by the Byzantine emperor Basil II, but it clearly existed for several centuries before. Traditionally, the foundation and first fortification of the city have been placed in the 6th century, when the historian Procopius ( De Aedificiis, IV.1.39-42) records the construction of a new, "well-fortified" city by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (r. 527-565) for the inhabitants of ancient Euroia. This view is not supported, however, by any concrete archaeological evidence.[3] Early 21st-century excavations furthermore have brought to light fortifications dating to the Hellenistic period (4th-3rd centuries BC), the course of which was largely followed by later reconstruction of the fortress in the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The identification of the site with one of the ancient cities of Epirus has not yet been possible.[3] The Greek archaeologist K. Tsoures dated the Byzantine city walls and the northeastern citadel to the 10th century, with additions in the late 11th century, including the south-eastern citadel, traditionally ascribed to the short-lived occupation of the city by the Normans under the leadership of Bohemond of Taranto.[3]

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the town's history was turbulent: it became part of the Byzantine Greek successor state of Epirus, fell to the restored Palaiologan Byzantine Empire in 1319, and was captured by the Serbian ruler Stefan Dushan in 1346. The Florentine adventurer Esau de' Buondelmonti captured the city from its Serbian rulers in 1385, to be followed by the Tocco family, rulers of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, from 1411 until the capture of the city by the Ottoman Empire on 9 October 1430. In the years immediately after 1204, the city walls and the northeastern citadel were reconstructed, while further reconstruction was undertaken in 1367-84 under Thomas Preljubović. The course of the Byzantine walls largely coincides with the extant fortification, but few details about it, such as the number and structure of the towers, were known until excavations during the last couple of decades.[3]

The city remained under Ottoman rule from 1430 until captured by Greece in the First Balkan War in 1913. It enjoyed considerable prosperity, and reached the height of its pre-eminence under the rule of Ali Pasha, who became the ruler of a large semi-autonomous state encompassing much of modern-day Greece and Albania between 1787 and his downfall and execution in 1822. It is to the period of Ali Pasha's rule that the present form of the castle largely dates; the modifications or repairs undertaken on the Byzantine walls by previous Ottoman governors are now no longer discernible, as Ali Pasha initiated a wide-ranging reconstruction of the walls in the early 19th century, which was completed in 1815. It incorporated, as far as was possible, the pre-existing Byzantine fortifications, while adding a new wall in front. The interval was filled up with rubble or provided with arched galleries, forming a large terraced surface on top on which cannon could be installed.[3]

Layout and monuments Edit

The castle is located on the southeastern corner of the modern city, on top a rocky promontory jutting into Lake Pamvotis.[3] The castle is dominated by its two citadels, already established by the late 11th century as recorded in Anna Komnene's Alexiad: the northeastern citadel, now dominated by the Ottoman Aslan Pasha Mosque, and the much larger southeastern citadel, known also as the Its Kale (from Turkish: Iç Kale, "Inner Castle").[3]

Northeastern citadel Edit

The northeastern citadel covers an area of approximately 6,000 m ², and is surrounded by a wall that dates partly to the Byzantine period, including the monumental southern gate, flanked by a large circular tower. In Byzantine times, this was called the "Upper Tower" (επάνω γουλάς) and was the seat of the local governor and later of the Despots of Epirus. The citadel comprised a palace as well as a church dedicated to Saint John.[3]

Following the failed uprising of Dionysius the Philosopher in 1611 and the subsequent expulsion of the Christian population from the walled town, the church of St. John was torn down and replaced in 1618 by the Aslan Pasha Mosque complex, comprising the mosque, the founder's tomb (türbe), a madrasah and a kitchen, which survive to this day. The citadel became the Muslim religious centre of the city.[3] Today the Aslan Pasha Mosque houses the Municipal Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina.[3]

Outside the citadel but in close proximity lie the Turkish Library, probably attached to the madrasah, an Ottoman bath (hamam) and the Soufari Sarai ("horsemen's palace"), a cavalry barracks built in the last years of Ali Pasha's rule (1815-20). There is also a Byzantine bath complex in the vicinity.[3]

The southeastern citadel, better known by its Ottoman name "Its Kale" (a Greek rendition of the proper Turkish iç Kale meaning "inner fortress"), forms essentially a separate fortress within the old town, covering an area of ca. 30,000 m ².[3] Traditionally its establishment has been ascribed to the occupation of the city by Bohemond in 1082, and the main Byzantine relic of the period, the large circular tower in the centre of the citadel, is known as the Tower of Bohemond. Here too, however, recent excavations have brought to light Hellenistic-era foundations. Literary sources record that in the Byzantine period, the citadel housed the residences of the city's archontes, as well as the cathedral church of the Taxiarches and the church of the Pantokrator.[3]

Under Ali Pasha, the Its Kale was completely rebuilt and became the main residence of the powerful ruler. It was here that he built his palace ( saray), beginning in 1788. The palace is described by European travellers and depicted in a print by W. L. Leitch and engraved by H. Adlard, as a large and complex two-storey structure with many windows giving excellent view to Lake Pamvotis. The palace continued to serve as the city's administrative centre until 1870 when it was torn down, although it had already been badly damaged during the 1821-22 siege by the Sultan's troops that brought about Ali's downfall. Excavations have shown that the selamlik was most likely located on the northern side, with the harem and the women's quarters on the southern. The surviving ruins belong mostly to the southern portion, including the ruins of the circular Tower of Bohemond.[3]

After the Greek capture of the city in 1913, the site of the main palace complex was later used for the construction of the city's military hospital, which in turn gave way in 1958 to new building, designed by V. Harisis, intended to serve as a royal pavilion. Since 1995 this houses the Byzantine Museum of Ioannina.[3] Next to the museum, on the easternmost and highest part of the citadel, lies the Fethiye Mosque with the tomb of Ali Pasha and one of his wives to the northwest, covered by an iron lattice work. The mosque occupies the space of the city's Byzantine-era cathedral, and was originally built after the Ottoman conquest in 1430. Rebuilt in grander style in the 17th century, its present form dates to its reconstruction by Ali Pasha c. 1795.[3]

The main surviving part of Ali's palace is the so-called "Treasury" (Θησαυροφυλάκιο) to the north, a square building of unidentified use. A domed space adjacent to it was later converted into the small church of the Holy Unmercenaries (Άγιοι Ανάργυροι). The Treasury was restored in 1989-90 and houses an exhibition on the history and methods of silversmithing in Ioannina and its wider area, for which the region was famous in Ottoman times.[3] Other surviving or excavated structures are the kitchens, dating to the early 19th century, located in the northwestern part of the citadel, which now serve as a refectory; the gunpowder store to the northeast of the Fethiye Mosque, which today serves as an educational space, with a ruined building of unknown purpose between it and the kitchens, as well as the ruined base of another large Byzantine-era circular tower; a large two-storey building northeast of the Treasury, possibly a barracks or an unidentified part of the palace, which survives only in half its original length, and now serves as a cultural and exhibition space; and a small bath complex to the north.[3]

References Edit

Anastassiadou, Meropi (2002). "Yanya". The Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume XI: W-Z. Leiden and New York: BRILL. pp. 282-283. ISBN 90-04-12756-9.

Gregory, Timothy E. (1991). "Ioannina". In Kazhdan, Alexander (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. p. 1006. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.

Papadopoulou, Varvara N., ed. (2014). Μουσεία στο Κάστρο Ιωαννίνων, Παράλληλες Διαδρομές (in Greek). Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 8th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities.

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The Ioannina Castle ( Greek: Κάστρο Ιωαννίνων) is the fortified old town of the city of Ioannina in northwestern Greece. The present fortification dates largely to the reconstruction under Ali Pasha in the late Ottoman period, but incorporates also pre-existing Byzantine elements.

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Maria N.

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the well-known Ioannina silverware
Stella

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malena

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Ioannina, Greece ( Ιωάννινα, Ελλάδα ) - What to see in Ioannina

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Vasilis B.

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Ioannina
The best place in Greece.
You can find whatever you want.

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Our charming town
Vasilis M.

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A beautiful view of our small island in the lake. The island is accessible by boat and has many shops with souvenirs you can buy.

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A beautiful view of our small island in the lake. The island is accessible by boat and has many shops with souvenirs you can buy.

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VickyBellou

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A beautiful place ....

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The lake of Ioannina
Vaggelis and Christine