Archaeological Site of Philippi World Heritage Site

Official name

Archaeological Site of Philippi | UNESCO

Country

Greece | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

41.1470° Lat, 24.2852° Lon | Map

Code

1517

Time Zone

Europe/Athens (EET, +0200)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2016. The remains of this walled city lie at the foot of an acropolis in north-eastern Greece, on the ancient route linking Europe and Asia, the Via Egnatia . Founded in 356 BC by the Macedonian King Philip II, the city developed as a “small Rome” with the establishment of the Roman Empire in the decades following the Battle of Philippi, in 42 BCE. The vibrant Hellenistic city of Philip II, of which the walls and their gates, the theatre and the funerary heroon (temple) are to be seen, was supplemented with Roman public buildings such as the Forum and a monumental terrace with temples to its north . Later the city became a centre of the Christian faith following the visit of the Apostle Paul in 49-50 CE. The remains of its basilicas constitute an exceptional testimony to the early establishment of Christianity.