Ancient Edessa was one of the most important cities of Macedonia, built at a strategic location connecting Upper (mountainous) and Lower (plain) Macedonia. The city developed on two levels, with the Acropolis and the Lower City. During the Roman period, Edessa prospered, minted its own coins, and enjoyed the benefits of the Pax Romana. Barbarian invasions and natural disasters gradually led to the abandonment of the Lower City and the concentration of settlement on the Acropolis. During the Middle Byzantine period, the Castle of Vodena became a powerful fortress, playing a key role in the Byzantine–Bulgarian wars and later in conflicts with the Serbs and the Ottomans. In the excavated Lower City, visitors can see sections of the fortifications, the main street, and the buildings arranged around it. The southern gate and the city walls, dating to the Hellenistic period, remain well preserved and bear repairs from the Roman and Early Christian eras. The main street, with its colonnades and inscribed monuments, reveals the city's development from the Hellenistic to the Early Christian period. Excavations have uncovered shops, warehouses, houses, and an important Early Christian complex, which was probably the seat of Edessa's ecclesiastical administration.

http://odysseus.culture.gr/ Συντάκτης Δρ Α. Χρυσοστόμου, αρχαιολόγος & Γ. Σταλίδης, αρχαιολόγος