Philippi
Description
Philippi was an ancient city in eastern Macedonia, founded as Crenides by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC and renamed by Philip II in 356 BC. Strategically placed on the Via Egnatia and near gold mines, it grew into a wealthy city with strong fortifications.
Under Rome, it became a colony after the Battle of Philippi (42 BC), where Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius. The city flourished as a “miniature Rome” with a forum, theatre, and monumental buildings.
Philippi is central to early Christianity: the Apostle Paul preached there around AD 50, founding one of the first Christian communities in Europe and writing his Epistle to the Philippians. By the 4th–6th centuries it had several grand basilicas, including an octagonal church rivaling those of Constantinople.
The city declined after earthquakes, Slavic invasions, and the plague, and was abandoned after the Ottoman conquest in the 14th century. Rediscovered in the 19th century, it has since been extensively excavated. In 2016, Philippi was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Roman architecture, urban layout, and Christian heritage.