Philippi

For other uses, see Philippi (disambiguation).

Philippi
Φίλιπποι (Ancient Greek)
Ruins of the centre of the city. The forum in the foreground, the market and the Basilica in the background.
Location within Greece
41°00′47″N 24°17′11″E
Type	Settlement
Location	Filippoi, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Greece
Region	Macedonia
History
Built	356 BC
Abandoned	14th century
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Archaeological Site of Philippi
Criteria	Cultural: iii, iv
Reference	1517
Inscription	2016 (40th Session)
Area	87.545 ha (216.33 acres)
Buffer zone	176.291 ha (435.62 acres)

Philippi (/fɪˈlɪpaɪ, ˈfɪləˌpaɪ/; Ancient Greek: Φίλιπποι, Phílippoi) was a major mainland Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (Ancient Greek: Κρηνῖδες, Krēnĩdes "Fountains"). The city was renamed by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest. The present village of Filippoi is located near the ruins of the ancient city within the modern city of Kavala, in turn a part of the administrative region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The archaeological site was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 because of its exceptional Roman architecture, its urban layout as a smaller reflection of Rome itself, and its importance in early Christianity. Philippi is also the place where the Battle of Philippi took place in 42 BC.