The Castle

Entrance to the castle

A first visit to the castle was done on 30.12.2014. It was cold but not raining. Some other tourists were looking around. Tickets are to be obtained first in the Byzantine Museum before entering the other buildings.

Wikipedia: "The Ioannina Castle (Κάστρο Ιωαννίνων) is the fortified old town of the city of Ioannina in northwestern Greece. The present fortification dates largely to the reconstruction under Ali Pasha in the late Ottoman period, but incorporates also pre-existing Byzantine and ancient Greek elements."

A first impression upon entering the grounds is in reality a surprise to discover within a city such a wide open space. It reflects the wisdom of not having buildings everywhere, but like a wise painter to leave space untouched, this free space above the city is amazing. From there an overview of the lake, the shoreline and the entire mountain range reflects something of what may have been called in the past a majestic glance. It is naturally a strategic advantage to have such a dialogue with the mountains and the nature while asserting through buildings within the fortification quite another idea of human settlement.

Sign at entrance

Looking back to the entrance

To the right a small museum and behind it, but hidden safe for the roof of the Byzantine church tainted in blue, there is an idea of the scope and lay-out resonating with a slogan used recently by a cultural event calling itself 'infinite space'.

Byzantine Museum

"The city's Byzantine Museum is housed in a building rebuilt on the ruins of the seraglio of Ali Pasha in Its Kale, which were completely destroyed by fire in 1870. The museum opened in 1995 in order to preserve the findings of the wider region of Epirus, chronologically covering the early Christian, Byzantine and post-Byzantine period. The museum's cultural center hosts musical and theatrical events, and issues periodic reports, among other activities. The collections include early Christian and Byzantine sculptures plus exhibits of the arts, ceramics, books, pictures and a valuable collection of silverware. During the summer season the museum operates Mondays 12.00-19.00 hours and other days 08.30-19.00. The museum is accessible to people with disabilities."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina

The mosque with the grave site of Ali Pasha in front

"The north-western citadel of the fortress is dominated by the Aslan Pasha Mosque. Built in 1618, it now houses the Municipal Ethnographic Museum and its three departments, Greek, Ottoman Muslim and Jewish.^[36] Of particular interest are the Epirote costumes on display. The Museum of Fotis Rapakousis is located in the Aslan Mosque complex. By agreement between the city and the collector, the collection has been hosted on these premises since 2000, in cooperation with the Municipal Folklore and Ethnographic Museum, housed in the Aslan Mosque. The entire collection contains 6,000 objects, grouped in four categories: weapons with their accessories, jewelry from the 18th and 19th centuries, ceramics (Islamic art pottery of Greece, Tsanak Kale) Opening hours: 9:00 to 16:00".

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina

Aesthetical space and view of snow capped mountains

Tucked away a functioning Orthodox church and its court yard with a colourful tower

A glance at old fortifications which Ali Pasha had completely re-built

Another view of the snow capped mountain range

Where there hovers silence like a bird standing still in mid air, there can be heard the voices of the past. They call for a future still too far at a distance to be seen close by. It needs the imagination to reach that open horizon.

The old town inside the walls of the castle