Location information

Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.

• http://thrace-net.gr/topeiros/pages/history.htm

  The newly established Municipality of Topeiros owes its name to a city which existed on the Egnatia Road, during the Roman Ages, in the same area in which the Municipality extends today.
  Approaching the bridge over the Nestos river, in the area between the villages of Toxotes and Paradeisos, 14 km west of Xanthi, you can see the remains of the ancient city of Topeiros, where monuments of old Christian and Byzantine ages mostly parts of Churches and Monasteries, have been found and conserved.
  It was established in the 1st A.C. and it was the Bishop’s Seat form the 5th to 8th century. Recent clear evidence for the Bishopric of Topeiros comes from the 1st early Byzantine Age, specifically from 4th and 5th century. As a consequence, Bishop’s names are reported in the records of the Third and Forth Ecumenical Synods. At the end of the 4th century Topeiros gained distinction from Trianoupoli’s Metropolitan Bishop, under whose domination remained for at least 900 years.
  During the 2nd century A.C. the city of Topeiros had its own coins (Proof of self rule and wealth). With the division of the Roman Empire into East and West, the area of Xanthi with the city Topeiros as capital, belongs to the East Empire and it is its western boundary.
  In 549 A.C. during the Justinian Empire the city was conquered by the Slavs, who totally destroyed it. 2 years later, Justinian rebuilt it and surrounded it with stronger walls.
  The city had a historical presence until 812 A.C. when it was destroyed by the Bulgarian Tsar "Croumo".
This text (extract) is cited October 2003 from the Municipality of Topeiros tourist pamphlet.