Fun Facts

3

Kavala has had 3 names over the centuries: Neapoli (7th century BC), Christoupoli (8th century AD), and Kavala (from 1500 AD).

49

Lydia, the first European Christian was baptised in Philippi by Apostle Paul, in 49 AD.

280

The grand aqueduct of Kavala "stretches" over 280 m, and has 60 arches in four different sizes and a maximum height of 25 m.

6.5

6.5 km is the length of the "water road", the built channel that began at the source, at an altitude of 400 m and, via 5 stone aqueducts, brought water to the town of Kavala.

180

180 relief sculptures are "hiding" in the rocky south side of Philippi hill, which are carved directly onto the rocks and depict scenes of daily life.

1.20

A wall 1.20 m high with railings was erected around the periphery of the orchestra area in the theatre of Philippi in the 3rd century AD, when the theatre was converted into an arena for animal fights.

3,000

3,000 workers took part in the first and largest strike throughout the whole of the Balkans in Kavala in 1879.

11 hectares is the total area of public forest land in Pangaio. Of this, 5 hectares are covered in clusters of beech trees.

11

80

80 talents, i.e. 160 kilos of gold, are what the Thassians earned each year according to Herodotus, from the famous quarries at Skapti Yli.

4,500

The Imaret, the seminary built by Mohammed Ali Pasha in the town of his birth, in between 1817 and 1821, covers an area of 4,500 sq. m.

The auditorium of the theatre of Philippi is comprised of 16 bleachers, with 20-22 rows of seats.

16

4

Kavala has 4 beaches with organised facilities, within its urban district.

17

Kavala is twinned with or has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with 17 other towns: Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Gradiska (Bosnia), Nuremberg (Germany), Agadir (Morocco), Martuni (Armenia) Tekirdağ (Turkey), Gotse Delchev (Bulgaria), Vranje (Serbia), Tarancón (Spain), Kardzhali (Bulgaria), Aranđelovac (Serbia), Kalisz (Poland), Samsun (Turkey), Lecsovac (Serbia), Nevsky (Russia), Shenzhen (China) and Durham (USA).

1934

In 1934, Mitsos Partsalides was elected in Kavala as the first Communist mayor in Greece.

28,927

28,927 refugees were settled in Kavala in the 1920s. In 1928, Kavala was the fourth largest town in Greece and the second largest refugee town, with a refugee population of 57%.