On the outskirts of Alexandroupoli, close to the village of Avantas, lie the medieval castles of Avantas and Potamos. Three different historic eras coexist on those walls, namely the Mycenaean, Classical and the Byzantine era. Both these castles supervised the field and controlled the passages towards the plains of Komotini and inland of the Rodopi mountain range.
Both constructions date to the second half of the 13th century or the first half of the 14th and they are both erected next to streams and on top of steep hills. The Avantas castle is shaped with a simple transverse wall that severs any access to the slope and the peak of the hill. In Potamos the castle has 3 towers that form an internal enclosure and a further external one.
Avantas castle consists of a wall of approximately 140 meters, parallel to the contours and a second, about 40 meters, almost perpendicular to it. The fortified area is of a generally oblique rectangular shape and is slightly less than 1 hectare. The fortification is developed on the slope from which it is possible to rise on the hill, while the rest is not protected by walls because the rough terrain is enough.The fortification was reinforced by four rectangular towers. There were two gates: one at the end of the wall protected by a tower and one in the middle of the wall, between two towers. There are no architectural remains, which might testify residential occupation. The oldest construction elements are some massive domes that have been used in various parts of the fortification which might indicate an older fortification.
References:The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.
The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.