An unending history of civilisation

Chalkidiki, according to findings from the prehistoric period in the area of Petralona, was inhabited 700,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations have located settlements in western and central Chalkidiki that already existed since the Neolithic and the Bronze Ages, while many cities flourished throughout the centuries, such as Olynthos, Potidea, Stagira and Toroni.

In 384 BC, the great philosopher Aristotle, who was Great Alexander's instructor, was born in Stagira. Chalkidiki was named after the city of Chalkida, in Evia (Euboea), which colonised the area during the 8th and 7th centuries BC.

But also during the Turkish Occupation, Chalkidiki did not remain detached from Greek history. In the spring of 1821 and under the leadership of Emmanuel Papas, its inhabitants rebelled against their oppressors, and in November of the same year, after continuous fighting Cassandra suffered vengeful retaliations.

The prefecture was razed to the ground. After pulling through, there followed more battles and the much longed-for liberation was finally a fact in October of 1912.

In 1922, Chalkidiki entered a new phase of its history, when thousands of refugees from Asia Minor settled in the area and founded about 30 villages close to the already existing ones. The refugees' contribution played a decisive role in shaping the economic, social and cultural landscape of modern-day Chalkidiki.