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I walk in the present marching in the past

The game was designed by Iraklis Lampadariou,
Philologist, Creator of Saita publications

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:

Προβολή Περπατώ στο σήμερα βαδίζοντας στο χθες σε χάρτη μεγαλύτερου μεγέθους



Album with photos of the game with various spots of the route:



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).

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