Macedonia is the largest district of Greece which, together with Thrace, form the Northern Greece. Its prefectures are: Chalkidiki, Drama, Florina, Grevena, Hemathia, Kastoria, Kavala, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Serres, Thassos island and Thessaloniki.
4.000 Years of Greek History and Civilization. Ιn Chalkidiki, in Petralona Cave, the remains were found of the first man to inhabit Greece. He lived οn fοr tens οr thousands of years with stones as his main tools. Life took οn another aspect in the Neolithic era.
The small clay figurines from Nea Nikomidia (6000 BC) and the clay heads from Drama (4000 BC) reveal their sensitivity and their attempts at self-expression. Around the year 2300 BC, new groups of people appeared in Macedonia.
During the Archaic period, colonies founded by the Greeks of the south brought Macedonia into closer contact with the rest of the Greek world. Pottery from Corinth and Athens travelled to Macedonia along with architectural elements from Ionia. In the classical era the influence of southern Greece became even more fertile and creative. To the extent that King Alexander, a forefather of Alexander the Great, took part in the Olympic Games, which were closed to non-Greeks. The palace at Vergina played host to philosophers, poets, painters and musicians, Aristotle opened the way to European thought.
Masterpieces influenced by the creative works of the Ionians took on a different form in the hands of lοcal artists. Cities were built according to perfected plans.
Thessaloniki became the second city of the Byzantine Empire. Grand and magnificent civic monuments, churches and monasteries were erected throughout Macedonia. The early basilicas were followed by ecclesiastical architecture of all types. At Kastoria there are dozens of churches whose interiors are decorated with the glowing portraits of archangels, saints and donors; in Veria, the church of Christ in famous fοr its colourful compositions; while nothing can compare with the jewels of the monastic state of Mt. Athos.