Anastasiopolis, Archaeological site and castle in Iasmos Municipality, Greece
Anastasiopolis is a fortified settlement featuring high stone walls and multiple entrances spread across about 7.3 hectares in a dense forest near Lake Vistonida. The site contains remains of religious buildings and defensive structures arranged throughout the enclosed area.
Emperor Anastasius I established this fortified settlement between 491 and 518 AD as a strategic point along the Via Egnatia trade route. The site later changed hands and identities under different rulers over the following centuries.
The remains show how inhabitants built religious and defensive structures that reflected their way of life across centuries. Walking through the site reveals how people arranged their settlement to serve both spiritual and protective needs.
Stone walls of several meters in height are clearly visible throughout the area, with the easiest approach from the nearby village of Amaxades to the southeast. The surrounding forest provides natural shade but requires sturdy footwear for walking on uneven terrain.
The settlement carried different names through the centuries, reflecting the powers that controlled it: named after Emperor Anastasius, then renamed Peritheorion in the 9th century, and finally called Bourou Kale during Ottoman times. These shifts reveal how the place's identity changed with each new ruler.
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