Introduction
for the pupils
What comes
to your mind when you hear the word “History”? Hmm, let me think: Chronologies,
faces, facts, learning by heart? Or perhaps it’s a treasure left to you by all
those who came before you, challenging you to discover it? Some pieces of the
treasure have already been discovered by others which of course you can see for
yourself up close. Others however wait, still well hidden for someone to find
them. Are you the one to do it? What do you say, shall we play?
Instructions
By
following this route on the peninsula
of Panagia (Virgin Mary), the old town
of Kavala, you
will pass by certain monuments, places and buildings of historical interest.
Five of those will give you through simple mathematics, the clues you need to
find the treasure-word which holds great power (the letters of the word are
five).
So, by
going up Theodorou Poulidou street,
you will find on your right the historic building that houses the 5th High School of Kavala.
I know that:
It was built around 1905/ it is an excellent example of ottoman neoclassicism/
it was used as a house of a Turk merchant/ from 1922 and on it was used for
housing schools/ during 2nd World War and Oppression Times it hosted the
Bulgarian police department (Ohrana)
On exact opposite side, a huge
boulder casts its shadow on a small café which seems as if built into it. On
the boulder you will see a small part of the defensive wall.
A few meters after
the school grounds you can take your place on the first coastal wall turret of
the city. From there you can see much of the city places like the center, the
port, even the rich city forest (also known as the aesthetic forest).
If you
happen to find the first turret occupied don’t get disappointed as you will
find the second one ready to receive you after just 9 paces. This one is even
taller than the first!
Continuing
your route on the paved road, you will find the Imaret in your right.
I know that:
It is currently operational as a 5-star hotel/ during the last Ottoman era it
was a building complex of religious, educational and philanthropic character/
it was built during 1817 to 1821 by Mehmet Ali/ it is a total 4.200 square
meters/ it had 2 madrasah (higher grade schools), 2 Mestzit (chambers for
teaching and prayer), 1 imaret (poorhouse), 1 mekteb (first grade school),
director offices are spread around 4 courtyards
Walk
along its exterior wall for enough meters until you reach on your left Mehmet
Ali’s house.
I know that:
It is also mentioned as “Mohamed Ali’s haunt”/ it was built in 1780/ belonged
to Pasha of Egypt/
it is an exquisite token of ottoman architecture/ was restored during the
period 2001 to 2004
The first clue can be found there. The answer
lies on the number of languages the epigraph is written in. The epigraph is
just above the house entrance. The number of languages is __. In which letter
of the Greek alphabet does the number you found corresponds to? You write it
down so you won’t forget it.
Next to
Mehmet Ali’s house you can see the bronze horseback statue built in his honor.
I know that:
the epigraph on the statue base reads as: “To his Majesty the King of Egypt
Fuad the Aos, the Greek communities of Egypt are thankful to you”
Opposite to the Egyptian king Square you can marvel at the amphitheatrically
built city of Kavala,
at the travelers who disembark and embark the ships, at the tireless fishermen
who cast their nets, defying the weather, be it good or bad.
By walking
on the opposite direction from which you came, on your left, open the great
iron gate that leads to the yard of Virgin Mary’s Assumption Sacred
Temple (Ieros Naos
Koimiseos Theotokou).
Take a small break at one of the many green benches and
enjoy the external fountain’s cool water along with the view of steep rocks
leading to the endless blue. By exiting the yard, continue to the left and
enter another yard, the one belonging to the 7th Primary School of Kavala.
There you find a floor game, featuring many numbers in small boxes.
The second clue can be found on that school’s
front. Abstract the first clue number you found from the total of windows you
count on the school’s front. The resulting number is the second clue which will
lead you to the second of the five letters you seek. Write down the letter you
found.
Shortly you
find yourself at one of the most beautiful places of the city. Next to the
lighthouse, you choose with which landscape you want your eyes to fill. The island of Thasos
on the back, Agion Oros in the west, the Keramotis beach in the East, the city
of Kavala
dipped in the colors of the sea and the green of its forest. You are on an
ideal place to take photographs with your parents as mementos!
I know that:
It was built around 1880-1890/ in 1929 more construction work is being put to
building it/ in 1945: the lighthouse takes its current shape/ recent research
has brought to light a small house, obviously where the lighthouse keeper
lived, as well as a steep and narrow staircase exactly below the lighthouse
itself.
Leaving the
schoolyard, should you look up a bit, you will see the outpost which can be
seen from the old town acropolis. In a few moments you will be inside of it and
you will be able to see through that outpost’s small window the spot on which
you are standing right now. Once you arrive once again at Mehmet Ali’s house,
keep walking until you find lots and lots of stairs.
You climb them, noticing
the architecture of the houses with the “sahnisia” (the wooden crossbeams-underpins
that hold the rooms that extend beyond the ground floor’s wall limits) and you
keep going until the end of the narrow road to the left.
There you find Khalil
Bey’s complex.
I know that:
it includes that Khalil Bey’s temple (early 20th century, built on the
foundation of an old early christian era basilica), which is an old minaret
(perhaps 16th century) and madrasah (higher grade school)
Here is the third clue. To find it, you will
need to do more math than with the last two. How many stairs lead to the
mosque’s entrance? __ stairs. How many lamps light the mosque entrance? __
lamps. Add double the number of the first question (number of stairs) to the
total of the two numbers (number of stairs plus number of lamps). The sum you
found gives you a number that corresponds to a letter of the Greek alphabet and
it’s the third letter of the word you seek.
You head
even higher in order to reach the Acropolis, the Fort. Between Anthemiou Street
and Feidiou Street,
take a turn to find the small slope. On Isidorou street climb the stairs
carefully so you won’t hurt yourself on the low balcony on your left and face
the last of the stairs which will lead you to the Fort.
If you
want, you can climb a few stairs next to the store, before you reach the
refectory, so you can marvel at the island
of Thasos just in front
of you, and on your left the Keramotis beach, both wondering the ever endless
blue of sky and sea.
Go down the
stairs and keep heading straight. On your right is the centric cylindrical
tower.
I know that:
it was built in the first quarter of the 15th century on the foundation of a
byzantine tower
Go up its three floors and you find yourself below the white and blue
flag, waving, ready to observe any part of the city you like from the telescope
there. Remember, only 7 people can climb the tower at any time and they all
must be older than 10.
By leaving
the tower you find on your left the water tank which was treasured at that time
as well as the food and ammunition storage which after a point was used as a
jail.
I know that
it is a semi-basement building of the early christian or byzantine era/ on the
western part of the flat exterior roof there is still the ruins of a latterly
built mosque.
I know that
it was built around 1530/ it used to be storage for ammunition and food/ It was
converted to a prison in 18th-19th century.
This is the largest building there is on the Fort and on its one corner
you can see and even touch iron shells (ammunition) used for the cannons to
fire.
By heading
up from that building, you continue your route to the right and you find the
Outpost.
I know that
it is a building that went through subsequent alterations and reformations/
probably useful as housing for the garrison/ in the 15th century a second big
square tower used to stand from that certain spot/ we do not know when it was
formed to look as it is today.
There, from the first window on the wall you spot just when you enter
the building, you can see all the places you visited just before (Mehmet Ali’s
house, Virgin Mary’s Assumption Sacred Temple,
the lighthouse, the 7th Primary
School of Kavala, Khalil Bey’s complex).
There waits for you the fourth clue. How many
windows does the Outpost have? __windows. How many sides of the building are
without a door? __ sides. The total of these two numbers gives you clue number
four! Write down the letter of the Greek alphabet corresponding to the number
you found.
By exiting
the Outpost, on your left, you can really carefully climb the stone stairs to
reach the castle turrets and enjoy the view.
After you
finish your exploration of the Acropolis surviving buildings you can take a
look at the outdoor theater on which theatrical, musical and dancing plays take
place during the summer months.
I know that
is utilized during the summer months to host theatrical, musical and dancing
events.
As you
leave from the Acropolis central gate, you go down the stairs and keep heading
straight. After a few meters, at the end of L. Katsoni street, you pass below the
gate ΠΛ5, built on the tallest and less accessible point of the land wall.
I know that:
it was built in the 16th century/ it is built on the highest and less
accessible part of the land wall/ it aimed to control and protect that
particular side of the village and surveyed the city eastern seaport.
From
there you have a better view of the “Kamares” (The old aqueduct) and the east
port of the city which is still an operational shipyard.
I know that:
it is the eastern city seaport/ it has been functioning from the 16th century
up till now as a shipyard (tarsanah)
I know that:
it is a stunning monument of Suleiman the Magnificent’s era/ its total length
is 280 meters/ its maximum height is 24,50 metes/ it was built during the 3rd
decade of the 16th century upon the ruins of what probably was a latter roman
era aquarium (1st-6th century AD) / at its northern point a land pipeline of 6,5 kilometers
ended.
You’ve already found the 4 clues, now it’s time
for the last one! By searching for the sign with the information on the
“Kamares”, can you find the greater whole number of the length the ground pipe
that led to the northern end of the monument and brought water from the springs
of the Old Kavala region? This was the last clue you were searching for!
Congratulations!
You managed to find the treasure-word of great power, following a route on
which you discovered great monuments, places and buildings of historical interest!
Map of the
game with important historical information:
Learn a little bit more about the designer of the game...
Iraklis
Lampadariou was born in Katerini in 1988, but grew up in Kavala. He has been
dealing faithfully with volunteering, both organizing and participating in
various collective actions, since the age of 10. He has studied classic
literature in the Democritus University of Thrace (2005-2009). He loves foreign
languages (he already speaks English, French, Spanish and he has started
learning Slovak and Chinese). He has travelled in many places in Europe, involving himself in a reach multicultural
dialogue that has certainly affected his way of thinking. He writes fairy tales
for the child each one hides inside and he constantly tries to figure out ways School
should integrate in order to cultivate students' creativity and imagination.
In August
2012 he created the open, digital non-commercial Saita publications from which are
distributed free his books “Creative class with enough imagination”, “The magic
bookmark” and “Greetings and wishes”.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iraklis.lampadariou
Learn a little bit more about the translator of the game...
John lives
in Athens and
is a fan of books, meaning he is a bookworm and a fanatic one at that! He
enjoys experimenting with languages and behaviors of humanity and watch at his
experiments flourish, after a day full of reading. He has studied the Social
and Political Sciences in Panteion
University and
consequently he developed a different, sweeter stance towards life. Books are
always there for him as he tries to preserve that stance. His other field of
expertise is translation and education of those who love experimenting and
along with them he struggles every day to learn more about the greatest ongoing
experiment in recorded history: Life
E-mail: jhnzervas@yahoo.com
Τhe game "I walk in the present marching in the past" is distributed with Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported).
