The Castle of Ioannina- a Village Within a City Part 2

Southeastern Citadel

I must admit that on my many visits to the castle, I didn’t approach my explorations very methodically. It was all a bit haphazard, and I found myself wandering around the site without any particular plan – that’s just the way I roll. However, I will try to describe the layout in the way most visitors may see it.

The southeastern citadel is atop a low incline – nothing too strenuous and easy to access. In recent years work was completed to make the site more disabled friendly.

I entered through another magnificent gate into the citadel known as Its Kale (iç Kale) meaning inner fortress.

Once through the gate, you immediately appreciate the wide open green spaces giving it the feel of a public park. Firstly, there are the remains of the old guardroom and just after on the left, is the former palace kitchen. The latter is now a cafe taking its name from the citadel, Its Kale and a place to stop for refreshments after pounding the pathways of the Kastro. I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the stone chimney pots.

Continuing straight ahead, is the gunpowder or silica store, an oblong building now used for educational projects delivered by the Byzantine Museum. In the foreground is the gravestone of Ali Pasha.

Straight ahead and towards the edge of the lake is the magnificent Fethiye Mosque set amongst clusters of pine trees. Adjacent to it is the mausoleum of Ali Pasha located under an ornate, wrought iron gazebo. Despite the many varied opinions of Ali Pasha, his final resting place felt to me, very humble compared to the palace (and the empire) that he built for himself. From what I’ve read, Ali Pasha built his own tomb whilst he was still alive. Taking into account all his contributions to the development of Ioannina and then subtracting the murder and skullduggery, maybe this is a fitting tribute to him after all! I’m still undecided.

A combined ticket gave me access to the Fethiye Mosque, the Byzantine Museum and the Treasury. I made the Mosque my starting point.

Before the mosque was constructed, the Cathedral of Archangel Michael existed on the site from the late Byzantine period. It is thought that when Ioannina came under Ottoman rule in 1430, the church was used as an Islamic place of worship – possibly as a ‘metzit’, a place for prayer without a minaret. After the failed rebellion of Dionysios the Philosopher, the site took on the full form of a mosque and became the centre of the citadel’s religious activity. In 1795, the Fethiye Mosque had major renovations carried out under Ali Pasha and it took the form that we see today. In 1913, the mosque was used as an auxiliary building by the Greek army. Between 2005-08, the Ministry of Culture carried out restorations and it opened to the public.

As I entered into the main prayer hall my eyes were immediately drawn towards the beautifully decorated mihrab (prayer niche) and the domed ceiling. The panels are adorned with geometric and floral patterns and passages from the Koran painted in a muted colour palette.

The guardian told me that I could walk up to the gallery to get a better view. A very narrow and steep spiral stone staircase led me up to the gallery where I do indeed get a good view, especially of the domed ceiling.

Next to the Fethiye Mosque is the Byzantine Museum, located on the site that used to form part of the seraglio of Ali Pasha. The building succeeded Ali Pasha’s death but was then destroyed in the fire of 1870. After 1917 the Greek army who had guardianship over the castle, built a military hospital. In 1958 it was remodelled as a royal pavilion but was rarely used as such. In 1995 after renovations, it opened as the Byzantine Museum.

Around the back of the museum is a row of cannons inviting visitors to take in the view across Lake Pamvotida to the mountains.

The museum has seven rooms exhibiting Byzantine sculptures, hagiography, coins, books and icons. It tells the story of early Christian history in Epirus spanning the 4th – 19th century. During the Ottoman period, Ioannina flourished as did Christianity Hagiographers and artists from far and wide came to create artworks in the churches and monasteries of Ioannina. Out of this came the Epirote School, a group of icon painters that developed a distinctive style said to be influenced by the Cretan School of Painting and Renaissance art. Examples of this were found in the monasteries on the island of Lake Pamvotida.

In the first two rooms, there are examples of stonework reclaimed from several churches and monasteries. There are also finely carved wooden doors and frames – too many to include in this post. The 19th-century paintings below depicting the two centaurs and the Battle of Mulbia Bridge were taken from the Veneti Mansion on Lord Byron Street in the city of Ioannina.

Now onto the Treasury. On the approach to the Treasury, there are the remains of the Palace of Ali Pasha, the Bohemund Tower and the Church of Agios Anargiri. A larger building adjacent to the Treasury houses the Ephorate of Antiquities office and periodically hosts exhibitions and events. Look closely amongst the ruins and you’ll also catch sight of the ruins of the baths. All that remains now are the locker rooms, the main domed section and the tank.

The 13 metre high Bohemund Tower is the oldest substantial building remaining in the kastro and was part of the fortification built by Norman crusaders in 1082. When Ali Pasha built his seraglio, he incorporated parts of the Norman fortification within it. It is hard to imagine what the Palace of Ali Pasha may have looked like. By all accounts it was magnificent but wandering around the ruins it’s hard to make sense of its magnitude and plan.

Old etchings give some indication of what it may have looked like but by far the best description that I’ve read is by physician, and travel writer Sir Henry Holland. He was born in Knutsford in 1788 and became renowned for his book ‘Travels in the Ionian Isles, Albania and Thessaly’ published in 1815. It documented his travels to Ioannina and his audience with Ali Pasha. He goes into great detail to describe the palace, the soldiers that served him and of course the man himself. The article below makes for very interesting reading.

http://www.albanianhistory.net/1812_Holland/index.html

The building of the treasury is dated to the late Ottoman period and is thought to have formed part of the palace though its original purpose isn’t known. The rectangular building is divided by two piers with vaulted ceilings. The domed part of it was later converted into the Church of Agios Anargiri. The Treasury was restored in 1989 and now exhibits a collection of ecclesiastical and secular silverware. In addition to the silverware are several delicately hand-carved wooden crucifixes depicting religious scenes and adorned with precious stones. The detail in them is incredible.

Now onto what I think is the most impressive museum within the castle complex – The Silversmithing Museum.

The museum is located on the site of the western bastion of Its Kale and the old kitchens identified by the chimney pots. Major works were undertaken to make the site suitable for housing the precious silver museum artefacts. The museum opened in 2016 thanks to sponsorship from the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation

Visitors can access the Silversmithing Museum via the South Gate (obvs on the south side of the Kastro) or by following a path from the back of the Byzantine Museum (near the cannons). If you access it via the latter you get what I think is the best view of the Bohemund Tower.

The interior of the museum is impressive. The integrity of the historic building has been preserved whilst providing a modern environment in which to explore Ioannina’s rich contribution to the silversmithing industry. An elevated pathway on the ground floor transports you through the space via beautifully curated exhibits, information boards and cutting-edge multimedia presentations.

Here I discovered from which mines silver had been sourced and the different methods of producing silverware such as cupellation, forging and cast work to sheet work and wire work. I learnt how the economic and political climate throughout history has both helped and hindered this specialist industry and how it impacted the economic prosperity of Ioannina and Epirus as a whole. More than anything I gained a deeper appreciation of this highly skilled craft and the artisans that have produced such beautifully intricate pieces of work.

The ‘piece de resistance’ of the museum is on the second floor. Walking amongst the original stone archways, you appreciate that you’re not only visiting a museum but the castle itself. Here visitors are presented with beautifully curated pieces displayed in glass cases suspended from the ceiling. Congratulations to the designers behind this – they’ve done an incredible job.

Back on the ground floor, I take time to visit a temporary photography exhibition. It’s part of the Photometria International Photography Festival, an event that takes place every year in Ioannina and is now in its 16th year. The exhibition at the Silversmithing Museum is called Balkan Echoes – Sound Portraits from Southeast Europe by renowned photographer Martin Koenig. The festival is sponsored by the Piraeus Cultural Foundation and many different exhibits can be found in public spaces all over the city. During my stay, I was able to see many of them confirming that Ioannina is the perfect place to absorb oneself in a wealth of culture from the past and the present.

Silversmithing Museum Opening hours:

Admission

Standard entrance fee: € 4,00
Concessionary ticket: € 2,00. 
Days of free admission:
May 18th (International Museum Day)
June 5th (World Environment Day)
Last weekend of September (European Heritage Days)