The famous ruler Alexander was born in this city. In the ancient city of Pella, every stone breathes thousands of years of history.
Alexander created a majestic empire that united peoples and countries. Many things from those times have survived to this day. Everything here is a reminder of the creation of a civilization that even today keeps many secrets and mysteries.
Historians do not know who decided to make a royal capital out of a small town, but 2400 years ago King Archelaus built here a luxurious palace, known as one of the best examples of ancient architecture and fine arts. The first mentions of the city date back to the campaign of King Darius and the famous battle of the Spartans.
The growing influence of the Macedonian kings expanded Pella. From a small town with a good location, where it was possible to defend itself perfectly against enemies, it grew to the title of the capital of the formidable Macedonian kingdom.
In the 4th century BC the city became one of the largest cities of the young and fast-growing kingdom. Here the rulers of Macedonia were born and died, which began to unite most of the Greek lands. The city was the birthplace of the famous commander, the creator of the largest Hellenistic state, Alexander the Great or Alexander III the Great.
Alexander's heirs made Pella into one of the largest and most brilliant cities of the new empire. Then the city went through periods of prosperity and decline, but after a major earthquake in the early 1st century BC, it was almost completely destroyed.
Only in the early 20s of the 20th century, archaeologists were able to start excavations to find the answer to the question whether Pella was in fact the capital of Macedonia. The excavations delighted the scientists. A huge number of well-preserved artifacts from ancient Greek times were found here.
The Archaeological Museum of Pella is a treasure trove of modern knowledge about the times of kings, the exploits of heroes and the battles for freedom.
Today, travelers can enjoy spending hours interacting with artifacts from the ancient era. Scholars have carefully studied everything that could be lifted from the ruins and found the remains of the magnificent city.
It had its own palace, spread over six hectares. In the center of the city there was a large square-agora for meetings and festivals, trade. The wide streets were carefully planned. The ancient inhabitants of Pella lived in 500 houses with one or two stories. The houses were richly decorated with mosaics, examples of sculpture and painting. The unique mosaics in the houses of Pell have been preserved. It is considered the pinnacle achievement of ancient Greek culture because of the richness and brightness of the images, the realism of images.
Ancient Pella is a reflection of the Greek civilization, which created the foundation of modern civilization. Today's Pella is a rich in antiquities and a spectacular open-air museum city.
Admission to the new archaeological museum and complex of Pella costs 6 euros for adults.
From Athens by AIR: to Makedonia Airport Thessaloniki; by CAR: from KTEL Kifisou Bus Station to Pella; by CAR: take the E75 highway to the E90 turnoff to Veria, exit the highway to Veria, follow the signs to Pella-Edessa.
From Thessaloniki by CAR: from KTEL Macedonia to Edessa; by road: take the E86 route and follow the signs to Pella-Edessa.
