The city of Kalambaka

Kalambaka is a city of the prefecture of Trikala and the capital of the Municipality of Meteora. It is located in the northwestern part of the Thessalian plain. It is built at the foot of the sacred rocks of Meteora and is one of the most popular destinations in Greece. What made Kalambaka famous are the famous monasteries built on top of the cliffs of Meteora. As a result, millions of tourists come from around the world to experience this unique landscape. It constitutes the most remarkable monastic center in Greece after Mount Athos. It is located at an altitude of 250 meters, and its population amounts to 8,330 inhabitants (2011). It is a modern-looking city consisting of many beautiful squares decorated with fountains. It has numerous modern accommodations, such as hotels, guesthouses, campsites, Airbnb, etc. Lucky who visits this rare religious destination, through which he will discover a completely different world.
The name Kalambaka
The name Kalambaka is mentioned for the first time as Lills (Kalbakkaya / Qalabaggaya.
It comes from the Turkish words kalabak / kalpak, which means kalpak, and kaya, which means rock. The name must have arisen because some rocks (e.g., Altsos or Agia Triada) above Kalambaka look like a kalpaki or because monks who wore related hats and caps lived on the rocks in monasteries. In the avapépetal census verse: "KARYE-İ İSTAGOS, El-meşhur KALBAKKAYA," which means "Stagoi Settlement, the famous Kalambaka."
It has been argued by many that it means Fortress on top of the rock (from the Turkish words kale = fortress + bag = head, metaphorically top + kaya = rock).
History
First, the English traveler William Leake, based on an ancient inscription found on the wall of one of the city's oldest churches (Saint John the Baptist), proceeded to identify today's Kalambaka with the ancient Region. Later, this identification was confirmed by the remains of a fortified city, Kalambaka. In the 10th century AD, it was known as Stage, a Byzantine fortress and a bishopric. The medieval monuments of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary remain of its medieval monumentsuilding of the end of the 11th or beginning of the 12th century, built on the remains of an older church of late antiquity. The Stagi is mentioned for the first time in the work Diatyposis of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise (886-812). In 1163 there was a reference to the castle of Stago. In 1204 the Stagoi became part of the Despotate of Epirus. At the end of the 13th century, they came under the Duchy of New Patras. In 1334 they were re-occupied by the Despot of Epirus John II Orsini and then came under the control of the Byzantine Empire again for a while. In 1348 they were occupied by the Serbs of Stefanos Dusan. They arrived during the reign of his brother, King Symeon Uresius. When the Turks occupied Thessaly, Kalambaka was ruled by the Pasha of Larissa and later by Sandzaki of Trikala.
During Turkish rule, it was an important commercial center. The inhabitants were engaged in the cultivatcultivating and commercializingsilk of excellent quality.
Turkalvanon, mainly at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. In the Thessalian uprising of 1854, it was occupied by the Greeks under Christodoulos Hatzipetro and Petropoulakis. In May 1854, a battle occurred in Kalambaka, and about 500 Turks were killed. The city was finally liberated on August 27, 1881. German troops burned Kalambaka to the ground on October 18, 1943. Once occupied, it was for long periods under the control of the Resistance.
Sights
In the city of Kalambaka, there are the Museum of Greek Education, the Library of Kalambaka, the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin, and the Natural History Museum
Climate and Environment The city of Kalambaka has a continental climate within the Mediterranean. Winter is wet and harsh, while summer is wet and hot. The
autumn and spring are rainy, with enough cold and humidity.