1. Serres is the capital of the prefecture of Serres and one of the most important commercial
centers in Macedonia, with a population of approximately 80,000 residents. It was first
mentioned in the early 5th century BC by the historian Herodotus with the name Siris or
Peonian. In the 6th century it is one of the most important cities of the Byzantine Empire.
From the 8th century it is considered a "great and wonderful city", "vigorous", "essential",
"good" city. In the Middle Ages it suffered many disasters, and was enslaved several times,
but ultimately survived. In 1204 the city was surrendered to the crusaders. In 1205 the
Tsar of the Bulgarians John A. conquered Serres, captured the Frankish garrison and
destroyed the city. In 1221 it was given to the Despot of Epirus, Theodore, but in 1230, the
Bulgarian tsar John II captured Serres once more. In 1245 it was under the rule of the
emperor of Nicaea John Vatatzes. In 1345 the city came into the possession of Serbia with
Stephen Doussié. Remnants of the Serbian occupation are part of the Acropolis walls and
the great tower of Orestes.
In 1371 it was ruled by Thessaloniki’s King, Manuel II and then in 1383 it was occupied by
the Turks. In the Ottoman period, Serres was referred to as the third-largest and most
important city of European Turkey. Serres took part in the pre-revolutionary movements
of the enslaved Greeks for their release. During the last centuries of Ottoman rule, the
plain of Serres and its vast wealth contributed to the great commercial prosperity of the
city. It became a great server center gathering merchants and buyers from around the
world .In the meantime education flourished and the letters were intensively cultivated.
At the end of the Second Balkan War, in 1913 the city was burnt down by the retreating
Bulgarians and had to be built entirely from scratch.
