Komotini’s 4th-century-AD Byzantine fortress was built by Emperor Theodosius. Remnants include one of 16 original towers and a portion of the wall. Alongside are the foundations of Komotini's synagogue, which was built inside the old city at the start of the 19th century. It fell into ruin after the Holocaust, and was razed in 1994.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.5 MILES
About 6km south of modern Abdera lies the acropolis of the ancient town, inhabited in the 7th century BC but wracked by various invasions, until it was…
18.07 MILES
Set amid fields of cotton and mustard seed on the plain southeast of Xanthi, this is the burial spot of a dervish of the Bektashi order, the primary…
0.33 MILES
Across Orfeos north of Plateia Eirinis, Komotini’s Ottoman-era neighbourhood, still predominantly Turkish, has old homes, barber shops and teahouses. Its…
26.73 MILES
Stacked up on the hillside on the north side of the city, Xanthi's picturesque historic district is a web of winding lanes and stairs lined with pastel…
15.34 MILES
In the marshlands between Lake Vistonida and the sea, this monastery, associated with Vatopedi on Mt Athos, is set on two islets linked by a pedestrian…
26.76 MILES
Triandafyllos Vaitsis works scrap metal and other findings into surprising sculptures that cast contradictory shadows. It's a relatively short visit, and…
Archaeological Museum of Abdera
25.19 MILES
This fine small museum exhibits the findings from ancient Abdera, with a focus on daily life: medical tools, for instance, and clay figurines, made in a…
26.76 MILES
Most signage at this museum is in Greek, so consider it more an excuse to poke around two linked 19th-century mansions, built for tobacco-baron brothers…
Nearby Thrace attractions
1. Church of the Assumption of Mary
0.04 MILES
Built in 1800 on a Byzantine shrine site, the church contains 16th-century icons and wood carvings.
0.12 MILES
Closed for renovation at the time of research, this museum occupies Komotini’s early Ottoman imaret (poorhouse), the brickwork and layout of which…
0.28 MILES
Visit here for information on the ancient Thracians, plus Roman coins, clay figurines, delicate gold wreaths and glazed ceramics. The street address is…
0.33 MILES
Across Orfeos north of Plateia Eirinis, Komotini’s Ottoman-era neighbourhood, still predominantly Turkish, has old homes, barber shops and teahouses. Its…
15.34 MILES
In the marshlands between Lake Vistonida and the sea, this monastery, associated with Vatopedi on Mt Athos, is set on two islets linked by a pedestrian…
18.07 MILES
Set amid fields of cotton and mustard seed on the plain southeast of Xanthi, this is the burial spot of a dervish of the Bektashi order, the primary…
7. Archaeological Museum of Abdera
25.19 MILES
This fine small museum exhibits the findings from ancient Abdera, with a focus on daily life: medical tools, for instance, and clay figurines, made in a…
8. Archaeological Site of Abdera
25.5 MILES
About 6km south of modern Abdera lies the acropolis of the ancient town, inhabited in the 7th century BC but wracked by various invasions, until it was…